


The 39 Iceflowers

by SilverScaler3000



Category: RWBY, The Thirty Nine Steps
Genre: AU, Attempted Murder, Attempted Seduction, Awkwardness, Betrayal, Character Death, Crimes & Criminals, F/F, F/M, Falsely Accused, Flirting, Fluff, Forced Proximity, Getting Together, Guns, Handcuffed Together, Happy Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, LGBTQ Themes, On the Run, Political Campaigns, Religion, Romance, Slow Build, Stolen Military Secrets, Suggestive Themes, Temporarily Unrequited Pinning, There ARE creatures of Grimm, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, This has an actual plot I'm not just pairing Ruby with 20 million people for the heck of it, Threat of War, Train Ride, Trust Issues, Underwear Saleswomen, White Fang, amazing plot twist, conflicted morals, spys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-14 21:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13599087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScaler3000/pseuds/SilverScaler3000
Summary: Ruby Rose is at a theatre in Patch, attending a demonstration of the remarkable powers of “Miss Memory”, a girl with a photographic memory, when two suspicious looking characters start approaching her and a mysterious woman, who had sat down next to Ruby during the middle of the performance. A shot is fired, the theatre goes black, and in the ensuing panic, Ruby finds herself being dragged through the streets of downtown Patch by a frightened Blake Belladonna, who talks Ruby into taking her back to Ruby's home.There, Blake tells Ruby that she is a spy, pursued by assassins out to kill her. She claims to have uncovered a plot to steal vital Atlas military secrets, implemented by a woman who is the head of an espionage organization called “The 39 Iceflowers.”What happens next only time will tell!





	1. Miss Memory

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I've been dying to do since forever. When I first saw "The 39 Steps", the adapted play version by Patrick Barlow, Richard Hannay and Pamela Edwards reminded me so much of Ruby and Wiess. I've wanted to try a crossover fic ever since, and now I'm doing it. Go me!!!
> 
> This road's going to be long and brutal, but please be patient and enjoy the story!  
> (Also, it should be clear which ship is going to win out in the end because of the title. If it's not obvious... well I'm glad we had this talk)

Ruby leaned back in her chair, enjoying the quiet hush that fell over the crowd as the lights dimmed in the theatre she was sitting in.

This was always one of her favorite moments, when the air was alive with the excitement of a thousand people, all anxiously waiting for the show to start. The energy they created was writhing and hot, like fire, filling Ruby with excited anticipation. She grinned, glad she had decided to come tonight. Ruby had been home in Patch for a while, and everything had been absolutely  _boring_. The weather had been miserable (sleet with a chance of Grimm), and she had done nothing but stew in her apartment all day. 

Well, that wasn’t  _quite_ true.

Ruby had tried going to a club, but all anyone would talk about was wars and rumors of wars, and quite frankly she wondered why anyone really cared. Why did it matter what happened to some random person in a completely different country? What would it matter if anything happened to her? No one would miss her, even she herself wouldn’t miss her, Ruby could just easily disappear-

Ruby shook her head, growling at herself. This was _exactly_ why she was here tonight, to have fun and rid herself of all these depressing thoughts. She bit her cheek, mentally cursing herself.  _Quit thinking like that!_  she chided silently in her mind. _You’re here to have a good time, not sit like a mopey dope and depress yourself. I could have stayed at home for that…_

Suddenly, the music pit began to play a cheery tune, and Ruby turned her attention back to the stage as a spotlight came on, revealing a tall man with glasses standing by a microphone. Ruby sat up, excited.

The show was finally starting.

The man on stage smiled at his audience as he removed his hat, revealing a shock of green hair, and took a rather large bow before straightening back up. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “My name is Dr. Oobleck, and now with your kind attention, I have the immense honor and privilege of presenting to you one of _the_ most remarkable people in the whole world, Miss Memory!” He started clapping, and everyone else joined in as a petite girl walked onto the stage, her orange hair bouncing excitedly.

“Salutations!” she said happily to the audience, her green eyes shining brilliantly in the stage lights.

“Now ladies and gentlemen,” Dr. Oobleck said after everyone had quieted down, “If you’ll please permit me to give you a little background information.  _Every_ day Miss Memory commits to her mind  _fifty_ new facts and remembers every single one of them! Facts from history and from geography, from newspapers and scientific books. In fact,” he said, raising a finger high in the air, “There are more facts in her mind than it is possible to conceive!”

The audience applauded, and Ruby clapped along politely. She’d admit this did look interesting, but she was actually waiting anxiously for the next act. It was going to be some kind of weapons demonstration, and she could practically feel herself drooling at the thought. Ruby hardly heard Miss Memory explain that she needed the audience to be quiet as she was placed herself in a state of mental readiness. The silver eyed girl was too busy thinking about the scythe that was going to be shown tonight, and was so caught up in her own thoughts, in fact, that she almost missed a quiet voice cut through the audience's applause.

“Is this seat taken?”

Ruby’s head swiveled to her right, and her eyes widened as she stared at the person in front of her. It was a woman, probably mid-twenties, in a gorgeous black evening dress that left nothing to the imagination. Long, raven black hair swayed in a curtain over her shoulders, an elegant purple bow seated atop her head. The woman's golden eyes gazed piercingly into Ruby’s, and Ruby could feel her face heat up as the woman stared imploringly at her.

“N-Not at all!” Ruby finally managed, gesturing to the seat next to her.

The woman nodded her thanks, and took the seat to Ruby’s right. As Miss Memory began asking the audience for questions Ruby tried to pay attention, but found herself glancing over at the woman shyly, watching her as she peered uneasily around the theatre. Ruby’s brow creased as she thought she saw the bow on the woman’s head twitch, but snapped her attention back to the stage when Dr. Oobleck told the audience there was only time for a few more questions. Her arm shot up immediately, and she was delighted when Miss Memory called on her.

“Yes, you miss, in the red!” Miss Memory called from the stage, making everyone’s eyes turn to Ruby.

Ruby stood up, beaming. “How far is Beacon Academy from Atlas Academy?” she asked.

“Oh!” Miss Memory exclaimed. “A lady from Vale, your welcome madam!”

“Uh, thank you!?” Ruby said, rubbing the back of her head as the audience applauded, blushing. Miss Memory was wrong, she was from Patch, not Vale, but Ruby wasn’t going to correct her. It was a simple misunderstanding, and if she said anything now it would probably ruin the act. Out of the corner of her eyes, Ruby could see the woman sink into her chair, hiding her face behind a program, but as the audience’s applause died down Ruby paid her no mind, instead watching Miss Memory intently as she contemplated Ruby’s question.

“Beacon Academy to Atlas Academy, Beacon Academy to Atlas Academy…” Miss Memory murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Oh!” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as the answer came to her. “I do believe the answer is four thousand, five hundred and fifty-four miles,” she said. “Am I right miss?” she asked eagerly.

“Yes!” Ruby shouted excitedly, pumping her fist in the air, and the audience applauded loudly as Miss Memory took a bow.

Ruby sat back down, beaming. A sharp intake of breath drew her attention back to the woman, anxious to see what was wrong. The woman was looking at something across the theatre, and Ruby followed her gaze, finding herself staring at a man wearing a white mask. He was straightening a pair of glasses on his nose as he observed them from a few rows away, and after a moment a woman wearing a similar mask and her hair up in a high ponytail walked up to him. As Ruby watched them both talk she was startled to see the woman’s skin turn red, and Ruby flushed as the man pointed in their direction.

“ ** _Scheisse_**!” the woman next to Ruby hissed, slapping her forehead.

“Are you okay?” Ruby asked, concerned.

“Yes, _thank you,_ ” she said sarcastically, giving Ruby a cold look. “I’m fine.”

Ruby frowned but remained silent. Glancing back towards the people they had been staring at, Ruby was startled to see they were walking towards them. She ducked her head back down, wondering what the heck was going on. The woman next to her was grabbing desperately for something in her purse, obviously looking for something important. Stealing a peek over her seat again, Ruby jumped. The man and women in the masks were almost upon them. _But who are they?_  she thought, _And what could they possibly want?_

Before she could voice these questions aloud, suddenly there was a loud bang right next to her that made Ruby jump, and everything went pitch black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Scheisse' translation: German for 'shit' (haha, made you learn something)
> 
>  
> 
> Everyone okay? 
> 
> No? 
> 
> Good! 
> 
> Please kudos and leave a comment, because that is how you give me love. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Belladonna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blake likes Tuna. What else is new? 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! This chapters a bit longer than the last one.

As the theatre plunged into darkness, the echoing sound of the strange _bang_ was quickly drowned by the panicked screams of the audience.

Ruby found herself frozen in place as the room quickly descended into chaos. People were shouting and running past her, the pitch blackness of the room making it impossible to see where they were going. After the shock had finally set in Ruby jumped up from her chair, her heart pounding uncontrollably as the audience surrounding her moved and shrieked in panic. Ruby hugged herself uncertainly. What should she do?

People kept blindly pushing past her, and Ruby yelled in surprise as an especially hard shove sent her flying back into her chair. She hit it with a grunt, her neck snapping back pain as she caught herself. She groaned, rubbing the back of her head. “What the Grimm?” Ruby hissed, straightening up carefully. She stood up, and reaching out blindly managed to grab the backs of one the seats in front of her. With deep a deep breath for courage, she started using them to try to find the exit. If Ruby remembered correctly, the closest way out was to her left-

She froze as a wrist grabbed her hand, and before Ruby could process what was happening someone had pulled her flush against them from behind. She shrieked, struggling against them, but the unknown person clamped a hand over her mouth and leaned forward to hiss in Ruby’s ear. “I’m not going to hurt you, but if you want to live you need to stay quiet!” 

Ruby went silent as she recognized the voice. It belonged to her mystery woman, and Ruby blushed at how close they were, bodies pressed together. Deciding she didn’t exactly have a choice, Ruby nodded her head in acknowledgment, and the hand was taken off of her mouth. “What do you mean?” she asked nervously, “What’s going on?”

“There’s no time to explain,” the woman said, “I can see in the dark so I can guide us out of here, but the people coming for us can too. The crowd will give is some cover, but we need to move, _now_.”

The fear in her voice made Ruby’s blood turn ice cold. She nodded again, trusting the woman could see it, and allowed her to pull them through the dark theatre. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down!” Dr. Oobleck called from the stage.

It was no use though, nobody was listening. People were still screaming in panic, the noise threatening to drown Ruby as it overwhelmed her. She felt sick, completely lost as to what was going on, and didn’t like the fact she was depending on this strange woman to get her out of the theatre safely. She was guiding them in the opposite direction Ruby had been heading, and Ruby wondered not for the first time if this wasn’t some sort of elaborate prank. 

_If you want to live you need to stay quiet,_

Ruby shivered. Nope, not a prank, _definitely_ not prank. Ruby had had her fair share of lousy jokes in the past, but no actor in the world could have possibly fabricated the seriousness, and more importantly the fear, in the woman's voice. Ruby had practically felt the woman's terror as if it were her very own, there was no possible way that it could have been fake. There was also that noise Ruby had heard before the theatre had gone dark; a huge bang that had shaken her from the inside out. Had that been a gun!?

Ruby whimpered, stumbling blindly as the woman pulled her quickly through the throngs of shrieking people. Just what was going on? Who were those people in the masks? _What did they want!?_  

Before Ruby could take any more time to sort through these questions, suddenly she was pulled outside, the door slamming shut behind her. The difference was so great Ruby gasped, wondering if they weren’t in a whole new world altogether. She inhaled deeply, taking in huge lungfuls of cool, crisp night air as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. It was late evening so the sun had long since set, but the street lights burned brightly, shining in Ruby’s eyes and blinding her for a moment. Once her sight cleared Ruby blinked, completely baffled. Somehow - and Ruby truly had no idea how - the woman had managed to get them out the back door and into the parking lot behind the theatre. The lot was empty save for a few parked cars, and it was quiet and peaceful, greatly contrasting to the mayhem they just abandoned in the building behind them. The woman breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and Ruby found herself following suit, just glad to be out of there.

A loud noise from inside the theatre behind them made Ruby and the woman jump, and Ruby stared at the door in horror, wondering what on earth that could have been. Had that been another shot...

Or something worse?

Swearing, the woman pulled Ruby along and ran for an alleyway that sat between two building on the other side of the street, hiding her and Ruby in its darkness. Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when the woman threw her a look that was equal parts firm and terrifying. The woman raised a finger to her lips, signaling for Ruby to be quiet. A moment later the back door of the theatre was thrown open, and the man and woman in white masks came running out. Ruby covered her hand with her mouth, stifling a sob as she caught sight of their guns, shining dangerously under the streetlights. The man and women were talking angrily to one another, but Ruby couldn’t make out a word of it. She winced as the woman next to her growled, the black bow on her head  _definitely_ moving somehow.

After a few moments the woman with the mask screamed in rage, turning a rather alarming shade of red again, and she and the man took off running, heading in the opposite direction of Ruby and her mystery woman. Ruby released a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “That was close,” she whispered, leaning heavily into the building behind her.

“Indeed,” the woman said. Taking a daring step into the open, she looked around, then relaxed slightly. “They’re gone, but they will be back, possibly with reinforcements. We need to move.” the woman said decisively.

Ruby swallowed at the thought of those people coming back. She pushed herself off the wall, rubbing her arms anxiously. “Alright,” Ruby said, stepping out into the light, “Where should we go?”

The woman turned around and put her hands to Ruby’s shoulders, making Ruby’s breath catch in her throat. The woman’s eyes really were impossibly golden, like two moons. They were shining on Ruby with such an intensity she was sure the woman could see directly into her soul, and Ruby knew she couldn’t possibly refuse anything this woman told her to do-

“Take me home with you."

Ruby blinked.

“ _What!?_ ” she asked harshly, pulling out of the women's grasp. “I can’t just, you really want to-” she stopped, taking a deep breath through her nose. “Why?” she finally asked exasperatedly.

“Well, I’d like to,” the woman said simply, shrugging. 

The absurdity of the statement made Ruby gawk at her. Ruby’s mind reeled, trying desperately to find an excuse to refuse her. “It’s a bit tricky right now,” she said lamely, rubbing the back of her neck. “I have the decorators in and-”

“ _Please,_ you have to!” the woman begged, making Ruby’s breath catch in her throat. 

“But I, you just, we can’t…” Ruby trailed off as the woman’s face grew more and more upset, and Ruby groaned.

_I just can’t say no to beautiful women, can I?_

“Well, it’s your funeral,” Ruby said with a defeated sigh.

 

_~oOo~_

 

“I never can find the switch… _Grimm spawn!_ ”

Ruby hissed as she hurt her fingers on something on the wall, most likely a nail. She growled, reaching out tentatively again. Ruby had spent enough time stumbling around in the dark for one night, thank you, and she'd be darned if she spent another second in her home when it was this pitch black. “Hang on, I think I got it- there!” Ruby cried out in triumph, turning the lights on.

Ruby smiled with relief as her apartment lamps quickly lit up the small room. Because Ruby was in the middle of having the walls redone, her furniture was covered with sheets, and paint cans littered the floor. It was really a mess truth be told, but that did not change the fact it was good to be home.Turning her attention back to the woman, Ruby gasped as she watched her drop to the floor, glaring daggers at the window.

“Turn off the lights!” the woman hissed.

Ruby did so quickly, watching in bewilderment as the woman ran over to the window, cursing as she looked down at the street. “ _Scheisse,_ ” she said, tugging the drapes closed. “Are there any more windows?” she asked, her eyes wild.

Ruby pointed out two more, and the woman ran over and closed the blinds on each of them, glaring down at something outside of the apartment before doing so. After that was done the woman sighed, rubbing her temples with one of her hands. “You can turn the light back on Miss Rose,” she told Ruby tiredly.

Ruby flipped the switch again, and stared in confusion as the woman began untying her bow. Her eyes widened as the black lace fell away, revealing two tiny black cat ears on the girls head. The woman sighed, rubbing them gently. “Thank the Gods,” she murmured. She glanced up, noticing Ruby staring at her, opened mouth, for the first time.

“You, you’re a-” 

“A Faunus, yes.” the woman said. “May I have a drink? Something strong if you have it.”

“Uh…” Ruby rubbed the back of her head, “I only have milk,” she admitted.

“Milk would be wonderful,” the woman said, smiling for the first time since Ruby met her.

Ruby blushed as she tried not to stare, and she walked over to the fridge. Opening the door she grabbed the milk and poured the woman a glass. Ruby handed it to her with slightly shaking fingers, still shy of the woman, and watched as she downed the drink in one go.

“Wow, you _really_ needed that, huh?” Ruby commented, taking the glass back and putting it in the sink.

The woman humphed in agreement, and they both settled into an awkward silence. Ruby fidgeted, not knowing what to say or do. So many questions were flying through her head, she wasn’t sure where to start. Ruby didn’t exactly have any friends to bring over, this woman was technically her first guest since moving here. Not to mention Ruby had never been alone with anyone this attractive before…

Ruby blushed, ducking her head. “Um,” she tried, closing her mouth again. _I’m hopeless at this,_  she thought to herself, biting her cheek.

The woman cleared her throat, getting Ruby’s attention. “Why don’t you have a seat Miss Rose?” the woman said gently, gesturing to the kitchen chair.

Ruby sighed, lowering herself onto the stool. “Yeah, maybe I should- _wait!_ ” she shouted, standing back up quickly. “How do you know my name!?” Ruby demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the woman.

“I saw it in the lobby,” the woman said, shrugging.

Ruby flushed, embarrassed. “Ah, I see…” 

The woman opened her mouth to say something else, when the phone rang, startling them both.

“Hang on,” Ruby said walking over to it, “Let me answer that.”

“Please don’t!” the woman said, placing her body between Ruby and the phone.

“W-why not?” Ruby asked, startled.

The woman looked down at the ground. “Because… I think it’s for me,” she said nervously. 

The fear was back, chilling Ruby to the bone. “Alright,” she said carefully.

After a few minutes the ringing stopped, and the woman visibly relaxed. “Thank you,” she whispered, smiling again.

Ruby smiled back. “No problem,” she said. Ruby thought for a minute, then decided which question she should go with first. “What’s your name?” she asked.

The woman turned around, her back facing Ruby. “You don’t want to know my name,” she said firmly.

“Don’t I?” Ruby asked, raising her eyebrow. “After everything that’s happened it only seems fair,” she said, crossing her arms even though the woman couldn’t see it. “Besides, you already know mine, and I’d like to call you something besides ‘Miss Cat’.”

The woman went rigid at the nickname, then sighed. “Belladonna,” she said a moment later. 

“Huh?” Ruby asked.

“My name,” the woman said, turning back around and looking at Ruby. “It’s Blake Belladonna.”

“Blake,” Ruby murmured, trying the word in her mouth. It fit the woman perfectly, beautiful and mysterious, just like her. Ruby shook her head, banishing the thought from her mind. “So, Blake,” she said, trying not to stare at her in any remotely creepy way, “What’s your story?”

Blake opened her mouth, but then a loud rumbled made her turn pink. “Miss Rose?” she said awkwardly.

“Yes?”

“May I be very impertinent for a moment and ask for something to eat?” Blake asked, her cat ears pressed flat against her head in embarrassment.

Ruby giggled. “Sure, I think I have some Tuna in the fridge.”

Blake’s eyes lit up, but then she gave Ruby a flat look. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” she asked.

“No!” Ruby said holding her hands up in defense, “It’s just all I have in the fridge right now. So would you like some-"

“ ** _Yes._** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize I'm posting this chapter a week exactly from the first one, but don't expect that to mean you'll get a new chapter every Saturday. I will try to update this at least every other week, but please don't tear my head off if some chapters take longer to publish than others. I don't like beheadings (unless they're in something Monty Python made).
> 
> Anyways please Kudos, and remember that comments are love (I function on love. Give me love.)


	3. The Spy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake finally tells Ruby what's going on, but will she like what she hears?

Ruby watched with extreme fascination as Blake devoured the tuna she had cooked up, her silver eyes growing larger and larger with each mouthful the Faunus shoved into her mouth. It had taken about twenty minutes to prepare it, and Ruby had felt Blakes eyes boring a hole into her back the entire time, making her so nervous that she had accidentally burned herself on the stove.

_Twice._

As soon as Ruby had set the plate of fish down in front of her, Blake had wasted no time, finishing half of her meal before Ruby could even sit down and take a bite of her own. Ruby was so engrossed in watching Blake eat in fact, she hadn’t even bothered to pick up her fork. Blake ate like a mad thing, like an animal-

Ruby shook her head, repressing the image from her conscious; even though it was a hard thought to banish, what with Blake’s cat ears. Not to mention along with her moans of delight Ruby swore she could hear Blake purring, and she held a chuckle in to keep from accidentally insulting her. Again…

Taking her last bite Blake finished the tuna, and she stared down sadly at the now empty plate. She looked up at Ruby with wistful eyes, quietly pleading for more. Ruby felt a pang in her chest and she groaned eternally, cursing her low immunity for sad girls. Especially pretty ones. With a sigh she pushed her plate towards Blake, gesturing with her hand for the Faunus to take it. Blake gave a nod of thanks and attacked Ruby’s dinner with the same amount of rapture as her last one, making Ruby wince.

Leaning her head back Ruby closed her eyes and began humming the tune that the theatre pit had been playing right when the show had started. It had been upbeat and cheerful, like something a circus would play. She chuckled under her breath. It had been the opening for that ‘Miss Memory’ act, of course it had sounded like a circus. While the show hadn’t been that bad, it also hadn’t been that weapons demonstration Ruby had desperately wanted to see.

Ruby sighed. If only, well, _that_ hadn’t happened, whatever  _that_ was.

Opening her eyes a crack she frowned, thinking. Whatever had taken place in the theatre still confused her, and it was nice to try to take it slow, to put the pieces in place gently now that she had the time to do so. She closed her eyes again, contemplating. First, there was the sound, then the dark, the screams, those two creeps…

Ruby shuddered at the memory of the masks those two gunmen had been wearing. They had looked like Grimm with them on, and that thought alone terrified her. Ruby was startled back to reality when the noises of Blake eating stopped abruptly. Ruby opened her eyes, blushing as Blake stared at her intensely. “W-what?” Ruby asked, cursing herself as she stuttered.

Blake took a deep breath through her nose, then exhaled a shuddering breath, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. “I think it’s time I told you what’s going on,” she said carefully, her cat ears pressed flat against her head.

Ruby opened her mouth, then closed it. “Oh,” was all she said. Her mind was reeling, questions rising by the hundreds. They all mushed together into a jumbled mess, but it didn’t matter. This was it. She was finally going to get some answers. The real question was, was Ruby going to like what she heard?

Blake cleared her throat, drawing Ruby’s attention back to her. She opened her mouth, but then looked down into her lap, biting her lip. “I’m not sure where to begin,” Blake said, rubbing her arms nervously.

Ruby tilted her head at Blake, thinking back to the sound that she had heard before the theatre had gone dark. She was pretty sure it had been a shot, probably from a handheld revolver of some kind. Based on the direction of where the sound had come from, the gun had probably been fired from somewhere to her right-

Ruby gasped as it dawned on her, and she leaned forward, pointing an accusing finger at Blake. “It was you who shot that gun in the theatre, wasn’t it,” Ruby said, stating it as a fact, not a question.

Blake nodded guiltily. “Yes, yes it was,” she said.

Ruby leaned back in her chair. “Huh,” she said, somehow feeling more relaxed about the matter since Blake wasn’t denying it. “Didn’t care for the performance?” Ruby joked half-heartedly. “I mean, I get it wasn’t the greatest show, but still, not bad.”

Blake frowned at her, then sighed again. “It was a diversion,” she murmured, standing up and placing herself by the kitchen counter.

“A diversion?” Ruby asked, raising a glass of water to her lips. “From what?”

Blake turned back around, facing Ruby again as she leaned against the counter. “Those two people in the theatre, the ones in the masks?” Blake asked.

Ruby nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

“Well, they had been there to kill me,” Blake said stoically.

Ruby choked, spitting water across the table. “ _What!?_ ” she shrieked.

Blake jumped, then gave Ruby an appalled look. “Are you really that surprised?” she asked, staring at Ruby as if she had kissed a Grimm.

Ruby stuttered. “I mean, you didn’t, I just-” she growled, scowling at Blake. “Well it makes sense when you say it out loud, they  _did_ have guns for Grimm's sake, but why on earth would they want to kill you!?” she demanded.

Blake frowned deeply, then turned back around, refusing to answer her.

Ruby groaned, rubbing her face tiredly. She perked up though as a thought came to her. “You know,” she said, getting Blake’s attention, “A beautiful, mysterious women pursued by gunmen? That sounds like a spy story.” She said, giggling.

“It is a spy story, Miss Rose, in every sense of the word. Although,” Blake said, her lips quirking into a playful smile, “I prefer the term ‘agent’ better.”

“Secret agent I suppose?” Ruby asked, playing along. “From which kingdom?”

“I have no kingdom,” Blake said, shrugging.

“Born in an airship then?” Ruby joked, feeling bold.

Blakes' face darkened at that. “Please don’t joke about this Miss Rose,” Blake said firmly. “I am being pursued by an incredibly brilliant secret agent of a certain foreign power, who is working to obtain information **_vytal_** _to your air defense!_ ” she shouted, her ears pinned back in aggression.

Ruby shrank back into her chair, and Blake paused, inhaling deeply. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“Don’t mention it,” said Ruby. “So wait, what does that have to do with anything?”

Blake began pacing back and forth in the kitchen, not helping Ruby in any way whatsoever get rid of the image of a wild animal stalking back and forth in a cage. “I had tracked the agent’s movements to that theatre, and I had gone there in the hopes of confronting them and ending this nightmare once and for all. Unfortunately,” she said, pausing in the middle of the kitchen, “Those two thugs recognized me.”

Ruby blinked a few times, trying and failing to make sense of what Blake just said. “So, wait, you _really_ are a spy?” she asked.

Blake slowly turned her head, and she stared at Ruby incredulity. “ _Yes,_ ” she said in exasperation.

“Uh-huh,” Ruby said, wrinkling her brow. “Um, don’t take this the wrong way,” she began carefully, “But have you ever heard of something called ‘persecution mania’?”

Blake’s cat ears twitched, and she stared at Ruby in confusion. “You don’t believe me?” she asked.

“Well,” Ruby said guilty, “Quite frankly no, no I don’t.”

Blake frowned, placing her hands on the kitchen table and leaning down towards Ruby, who shrank back. “Uh-” Ruby said, staring at Blake.  

“They’re outside under the streetlamp  _right now_ ,” Blake said fiercely.

Ruby gasped, swiveling her head to the covered window and back to Blake, staring at her in horror. “What?” she whispered.

Blake straightened back up, gesturing to the window. “Take a look if you don’t believe me,” she said.

Ruby stood up and was startled when Blake grabbed her arm. “ _But be careful,_ ” Blake warned, her eyes flashing with that fear again.

Ruby swallowed hard and nodded, tiptoeing carefully over to the window. Grabbing the corner of the blinds she pulled them back a crack, peering down into the dimly lit street. At first she couldn’t see anything, but then she gasped, staring at the two figures under the streetlight. It was the same people from the theatre, their guns visible even from Ruby’s third story apartment.

Ruby dropped the blind and stepped away, glancing nervously at Blake. She merely stared back at Ruby calmly, as if she was used to this sort of thing. Which, Ruby supposed, she probably was.

“Well?” Blake asked expectantly.

Ruby hung her head low, rubbing the back of her head. “I believe you now,” she murmured. She wrapped her arms around herself, tightly. “What are they doing out there?” she asked.

“Someone must have seen us go into the building,” Blake said. “You can rest easy though Miss Rose, if they knew where we were, we’d be dead right now.”

Ruby shivered. “How reassuring,” she muttered.

Blake scowled towards the window, then sighed. “Miss Rose, I want to tell you something that’s not very healthy. It could mean either life, or death. But,” she said, “If I tell you, then you’ll become…” she paused, seeming to be looking for the right word. “ _Involved!_ ” she finally finished.

“Involved?” Ruby asked.

Blake nodded. “So I have to ask you,” she said, “Do you wish to be involved?”

Ruby stared at Blake for a moment, contemplating. This woman looked so fragile and strong all at once, it was really no wonder she was a spy. Her eyes seemed to contain a deep knowledge that went well beyond her years, and the way Blake held herself; it wasn’t the stance of someone who would just sit idly by while bad things happened. No, Blake was the kind of person who would take action to right a wrong, someone who would put her own life in jeopardy to help another person.

Ruby was nothing like this.

She had always stuck to her quiet life here, in her little apartment in Patch. With no family or friends to speak of, Ruby was nothing. A nobody. She was just a girl with what one might call an unhealthy obsession with weapons. Could she really ask Blake to let Ruby into her secret world? To show Ruby the darkest corners of society so few got the opportunity to peer into?

Turning around Ruby lifted the corner of the blind again, staring down at the two people standing outside her home. Ruby shook her head. _Spies_. In one short evening, Ruby had gotten mixed up with spies. Blake really didn’t seem to want to bring Ruby any further into this, but Ruby had already fallen headfirst into the rabbit hole at this point. How much worse could it be at the bottom?

Clenching her jaw Ruby dropped the curtain and turned around. She walked up to Blake determinedly, setting her face firm. Once she was inches from the woman she paused, and Blake raised an eyebrow. “Well?” Blake asked.

Ruby took a deep breath, then looked Blake boldly in the eye. “Tell me everything,” she said.

 

 

_~oOo~_

 

In the end, there hadn’t been that much left to tell, at least in Ruby’s opinion. After getting Blake a cup of tea to help her relax, Blake finally told Ruby who those people outside were. They belonged to a group of Faunus assassins known as the White Fang, a group Blake had previously belonged to. When Ruby had given her a horrified look, Blake assured her that she had left them a long time ago, having become disgusted by their cut-throat ways soon after joining. She had kept tabs on them though, and based on Blake’s findings they had recently begun working for a secret organization called ‘The Thirty Nine IceFlowers’. When Ruby asked what The Thirty Nine IceFlowers were, Blake had admitted she didn’t know what exactly they were or what its purpose was. All Blake knew was that it was a group of people who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, although what it was they were looking to obtain in the end was still a mystery to her.

 _Well, that’s not helpful at all,_  Ruby thought.

The one thing that Blake did know for certain, was that the individual behind it all was a master of disguise, a woman with a dozen names and a thousand faces. It was almost impossible to identify her, and after years of investigating Blake’s still didn’t know even half of her aliases. The one thing this person could not hide, however, was that she was missing a part of her little finger on her right hand.

Ruby had smirked at that. “Shouldn’t be that hard to find her then,” she said confidently. “Just need to shake hands with every woman I meet from now on.” Blake smiled at her joke, and Ruby blushed again. “So,” Ruby said a moment later, “What now? Do we go to the police or-”

She was cut off by Blake laughing, great heaping chuckles that made her spill tea on the floor. “The police!?” she asked, clutching her stomach. “Oh Miss Rose, do you really think they’d believe any of this? They’re just stuck up, overpaid men and women with shiny boots and whistles. No,” she said, brushing a tear from her eye. “It’s up to us to get this figured out.”

 ** _Us?_** Ruby thought, brushing a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

“Our next step,” Blake continued, not noticing how flustered Ruby was becoming, “Is to meet up with an informant of mine. She’s a Mystralian that lives in a big house-”

“A big house?” Ruby interrupted.

“Yes,” Blake said, “In the outskirts of Atlas, at a place called _Alt-na-shell-ach_."

“Alt-na-ta who now?” Ruby asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“ _Alt-na-shell-ach_.” Blake said again, “And we haven’t a moment to lose. If The Thirty Nine IceFlowers are not stopped, it will only be a matter of days, perhaps hours, until the top secret and highly confidential information is taken out of the kingdom. And if it’s taken out of the kingdom…” Blake shook her head. “God’s help us all.”

Ruby swallowed, wondering just what they would do if they acquired the information. Images of Patch going up in smoke flashed before her eyes, and she shivered. “Alright,” Ruby said, “Should we leave tomorrow for Atlas then?”

“Definitely,” Blake said, standing up. “But for now, I think it would be wise if we turned in.”

“Good idea,” Ruby said, yawning. She paused as something occurred to her. “Oh, I don’t have a guest room, so… you can sleep in my bed!” she said decisively.

Blake’s ears perked up. “How kind of you,” she murmured seductively, eyeing Ruby up for the first time.

Ruby nodded, not noticing Blake’s change in tone or the way in which she was looking at her now. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’ll just sleep on the couch.” she said, shrugging as if it were no big deal.

Blake blinked. “As you wish,” she said, her cat ears drooping a little.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, wondering why she sounded disappointed. “Well,” she said, moving on, “Let me grab my pj’s and I’ll be out of your hair.”

A few minutes later Ruby laid down on the couch, yawning again. She groaned, already dreading the sore back she would probably have in the morning. It wasn’t that the couch was uncomfortable, but Ruby could never sleep comfortably in anything other than her own bed. She plumped her pillow, preparing herself for a long night. “Goodnight Blake!” she called, settling onto the cushions.

“Goodnight… Ruby,” Blake called from Ruby’s bedroom.

Ruby started, realizing that was the first time Blake called her by her first name. She grabbed a pillow and shoved her face into it, refusing to let Blake hear her obscene noises of embarrassment.

After she calmed down Ruby hugged the pillow to her chest, and she sighed for what seemed like the billionth time that night, closing her eyes. Off in the distance, Ruby could hear a police siren wailing, and she hugged the pillow even tighter. What was this feeling Ruby was experiencing? She didn’t feel scared or anxious, but she didn’t feel happy either. She was… excited? Ruby humphed. What was there to be excited about? She was going to the kingdom of Atlas to meet a spy's informant. How could that possibly be more exciting than meeting an  _actual_ spy?

Ruby groaned. “What have I gotten myself into?” she whispered to herself. No one answered her, although Ruby hadn’t been expecting a response, not really.

Putting her pillow under her head, Ruby brought the blankets up to her chin. She closed her eyes again, trying to relax her anxiously beating heart. Using the grandfather clock as a metronome, she let her breaths fall into time with it, and Ruby felt her body slowly relaxing. Sleep took her gently into its quiet embrace, and Ruby dreamt of people in Grimm masks and evil women missing their little fingers. Ruby tossed her head back and forth as she pursued them through her dreamscape, muttering incoherences.

All the while not even hearing the lock on her apartment door being picked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Blake's comment about cops? I took that straight from the play script, so please don't take any offense in it if you are in fact with the law. My uncles a cop, I have NOTHING against you people. 
> 
> Anyvays I hope you liked this chapter! Please comment and Kudos.


	4. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my darling readers! 
> 
> I am SO happy with this chapter. I spent two weeks editing it (so... drained...)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**_Ruby_ **

Ruby blinked sleepily. Glancing around she pursed her lips in confusion, wondering what could have woken her up. She thought she had heard someone call her name, but it must have been the tail end of a dream. Right now, the only noise she could hear was the chiming of the grandfather clock, alerting her to the fact it was five in the morning. Ruby listened half-heartedly for a few minutes, ears strained as she waited for someone to call her name again. After a few more seconds of silence, Ruby groaned in annoyance, deciding she must have imagined it. She yawned, closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into the blankets, sighing contently.

“ _Ruby,_ ”

Ruby froze, then sat up quickly, fisting the blankets tightly in her hands. She stared in the direction of where the voice had come from, squinting her eyes. It was pitch black in her apartment, and because her furniture was covered for the decorators they looked grotesque and strange; the coffee table a crouching Beowolf, the china cabinet a looming Ursa. Ruby blinked to rid her mind of these images, and then bit her bottom lip as she gazed nervously around the small living room, fear prickling up her spine. A creak in the floorboard alerted her to another person's presence, and she squeaked in alarm as Blake materialized out of the shadows, her golden eyes shining with such an intensity it made Ruby’s breath catch in her throat.

“Blake?” she asked in bewilderment, giving the Faunus a nervous smile. “What’re you doing up?”

Blake didn’t answer her, and she began walking slowly towards the couch. “Oh Ruby,  _Ruby,_ ” Blake murmured in a strange tone Ruby couldn’t identify.

Ruby’s brow crinkled in confusion. “Blake?” she tried again, trying and failing to ignore how hard her heart was pounding. Blake was behaving strangely, and somehow this situation felt… off. What was going on?

“ _Ruby,_ ” Blake whispered again, getting closer and closer with each step.

Ruby sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow as she realized just how dilated Blake’s eyes were. Didn’t that only happen when-

Ruby gasped. “N-n-now hang on!” she exclaimed, her entire face an inferno. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing Blake, but you can’t,  _we_ _can’t_ -” she swallowed hard as the spy drew even closer still, ignoring Ruby’s protest. Ruby pressed herself flat against the back of the couch, shivering as Blake stopped in front of her. “Look,” Ruby said, “You literally  _just_ breezed into my life and got me all, **_involved_** ,” Ruby said, her voice getting higher pitched and more shrilled with each word, “And I, well…”

Blake put her hands on both sides of Ruby’s head and leaned closer, the distance between their faces diminishing quickly. Ruby’s breath hitched in her throat, and she found herself whispering as Blake’s eyes made her insides melt. “I’ve actually never met anyone quite like you before,” Ruby breathed quietly, and she closed her eyes, waiting for Blake to kiss her.

To say Ruby was surprised was an understatement as she felt Blake collapse on top of her, knocking the breath out of lungs. Her eyes snapped open, and as Ruby slowly registered what exactly it was she was looking at she opened her mouth in a soundless scream, shaking violently under Blake as the Faunus’s breathing hitched.

“Oh Ruby,” Blake gasped, “I’m so,  _so_ _sorry_.”

Protruding from Blakes back was a knife, shining lethally in the dim light. Blake’s shirt was soaking with blood, and the coppery scent of it made bile rise at the back of Ruby’s throat. Ruby reached forward to grab the knife but immediately pulled her hand back, not remembering if you were supposed to remove a knife from a wound, or if that would just make things worse. Ruby felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes, and she blinked, her bottom lip trembling.

“Blake,” she whispered. “I-I don’t…” she swallowed hard, trying and failing to keep the tears from cascading down her cheeks. “I don’t know what to do!” Ruby sobbed.

With great effort Blake raised her head, looking Ruby in the eye. “Listen to me very carefully,” she said, grabbing Ruby’s hand and holding it tightly. “These people,  _they act_ **_quickly_** ****, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Do you hear me? _Nothing!_ Now, there is-”

Blake choked, her breaths becoming ragged. She lowered her head back down and spoke even quieter, forcing Ruby to lean her head forward to hear her. “T-there is no t-t-turning b-back,” Blake stuttered, coughing harshly. She shoved a book into Ruby’s hand, and Ruby blinked, having no clue where it had come from. “The bookmark,” Blake rasped, “It’s a m-map to  _Alt-na-shell-ach._ F-find my informant, t-tell her w-what I’ve told y-y-you. I k-know you can…”

She trailed off, and Ruby watched in horror as her breathing stilled. “Blake?” Ruby whispered.

Hesitantly, Ruby placed her fingers on the Faunus's neck, praying to every deity she could think of to feel a steady heartbeat. After a moment she pulled her hand back, hugging it to her chest. Ruby closed her eyes and sobbed, her tears pouring down from her eyes in two identical torrents, soaking Blake’s dark head.

There was no pulse.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath Ruby slowly got herself out from under Blake, a strange numbness taking over in place of the fear and overwhelming sorrow she had felt only moments before. Moving methodically, she made it to the bathroom, and promptly emptied her stomach of its contents. The bile burned at the back of her throat, and the pain brought Ruby back to herself. Wiping her brow and then her mouth with her sleeve she flushed the toilet and walked back to the living room, stopping in front of the couch. Reaching out tentatively she grabbed the book from where she had left it on the cushion and hugged it tightly to her chest, holding it close as she stood quietly in front of Blake. Ruby blinked, biting her tongue to keep her whimpers at bay. She could feel each beat of her heart pounding against her skull, hammering harshly until she couldn’t think straight, and Ruby closed her eyes as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. In through her nose and out through her mouth. Over and over again until she didn’t feel like she was going to be sick again; until she didn’t feel like pulling out her hair and falling to her knees in despair as she screamed bloody murder.

Once she had calmed down, Ruby held the book up to her face, trying and failing to read it’s cover in the dark. Stumbling over to a lamp she turned it on, blinking at the sudden brightness. She rubbed her eyes, which now burned from both the light and her tears. The cover of the book read “Ninjas of Love”, but Ruby decided to ignore that. She opened it carefully, and a single piece of folded up paper slipped out from between the pages, landing gently on the floor. Bending down Ruby grasped it tightly in her hand, biting her cheek as her fingers trembled. Ruby opened it slowly, her eyes widening as she discovered it was a map of Atlas, with one tiny area circled in red pen.

 _“Alt-na-shell-ach,”_ Ruby whispered, trailing a finger over her destination.

_**Ring!** _

Ruby jumped, then relaxed as she realized it was just the telephone. She ran to the kitchen, staring at it from the archway with something close to hope in her chest. It rang again, and she rushed over to it quickly, her hand reaching out eagerly to pick it up. She could ask for help, she didn’t have to be alone!

_I think it’s for me_

Ruby froze as Blake’s words echoed in her mind, making her dizzy. What if Blake had been right? What if…  _they_ were on the other line?

Ruby backed away from the phone, shaking her head and holding a hand to her mouth. _Oh Gods oh Gods oh Gods,_  she thought over and over again, jumping in surprise as she walked straight back into the kitchen wall. When she realized it wasn’t an attacker Ruby leaned against it, sniffling. Her knees were shaking, and it took every ounce of self will not to fall to the floor in a crying heap. She stayed there until the phone stopped ringing, and Ruby sighed with relief, soaking in the silence like a sponge. Glancing towards the counter, Ruby noted that the dishes from earlier were still in the sink, untouched. Ruby shuffled over to them, touching the plate Blake had eaten off of only hours before.

“Blake,” she whispered again. Ruby had only known her for a few short hours, but that had been enough. She had been someone Ruby had admired, her bravery and determination had made her seem unbeatable. Of course, she had known Blake had been scared, but this?

This was too much.

Ruby shuddered, biting back another sob. Thinking hard about it Ruby realized that when the phone had rung, in her surprise, she had dropped the book, and more importantly, the map. Ruby turned around and faced the direction she needed to go, determined to go and get it, but much to Ruby’s shock her feet refused to move forward. It was as if her legs had been severed from her mind, no matter how many times she commanded her feet to walk towards the living room they wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ respond. Ruby sniffled. She needed that map, but to go back into that room, to face the body…  

_There is a woman in Atlas_

Ruby growled at herself, urging her body forward. She walked back into the living room silently, refusing to look towards the couch. Spying the map lying abandoned on the floor next to the book she picked it up, studying it again. It would be at least a day’s journey by train, if not longer, with Grimm knows what chasing after her the entire way. Could she really do it alone? If Blake hadn’t been able to stand up to  _them_ , what chance did she have?

_My name, it’s Blake Belladonna_

Glancing unwillingly towards Blake’s still body, Ruby felt her heart swell up with unwanted emotion. Not even realizing what she was doing, Ruby walked over to her, grabbing a sheet from one of the other chairs and placing it over the Faunus. She pointedly ignored the knife still sticking out of Blakes back, and when her hand brushed Blake’s cheek as Ruby drew the cloth over her face Ruby shuddered, shocked by how cold Blake’s skin was already. Ruby sobbed again, a few tears trailing down her cheeks.

 _Only a matter of days, perhaps hours,_ _until the top secret and highly confidential information is taken out of the kingdom_

Suddenly a fiery rage swept through Ruby, and she clenched her fists as they shook not from fear, but from anger. How dare these people break into her home and murder someone she cared about in cold blood? What kind of an organization was Ruby dealing with that could take a life so easily? She grit her teeth. These people, they weren't Human or Faunus. No, these…  _individuals_ , they were, they were-  

“Monsters,” Ruby whispered, growling as she blinked more unwanted tears.

_We haven’t a moment to lose_

Grabbing the book from the ground Ruby shoved the map back into it and ran to her room, throwing off her night clothes and putting on a comfortable traveling dress, not even stopping to really pay attention to which one she was putting on. Running back out into the hall she threw open the closet, retrieving her coat. Ruby put it on quickly, but then growled in frustration as she realized it was inside out. Ruby threw the coat off, practically snarling as she fixed the sleeves and put it back on. She needed to get out of here, she needed to stop them-

Snatching her purse off the table Ruby opened it and hurriedly counted the money she had, finding just enough lien to buy the train tickets she needed. Ruby nodded her head, satisfied, and headed for the door. She grabbed the doorknob, about to turn it, when she started, her mouth falling open as she realized it was already open a crack. Ruby stared at it blankly, then groaned as she realized her apartment doors cheap locks must have been picked.

 _At least that explains how they got in,_  Ruby thought to herself, fighting the new wave of fear that ran up her spine. Opening the door to her apartment cautiously, Ruby peered out into the dark hallway. There was no one there.

_And if it’s taken out of the kingdom…_

Taking one last glance behind her, Ruby stared into her home. If she left now, there was no guarantee she would ever make it back. Oddly enough though, that thought didn’t bother her. This whole ordeal had something new and unknown stirring inside of her, begging for release and screaming for adventure. It frightened her, but she was scared of a lot of things right now. Better to embrace these new feelings than except death. She set her jaw firm, giving one last sad look towards Blake’s body.

_Gods help us all_

“I won’t let you down,” Ruby whispered.

With that she ran out of her apartment and into the darkness, charging through the halls as she threw herself into the unknown dangers of the night.

 _They act quickly, quickly,_ _**quickly** , _ **_QUICKLY!_**

  

_~oOo~_

  

Peter Port whistled cheerfully as he walked down the dark streets, swinging the milk basket in his hand as he made his first stop, a small apartment building in West End Patch. No one besides him was ever out this early in the morning, and the air held a tranquility you could never hope to find at any other point in the day. Being a milkman meant he had to be up before anyone else, which was rather lonely at times, but he enjoyed the solitude he got because of his job. Yes sir, no one out to bother him, not a single soul-

**_Crash!_ **

“Oof!” Port shouted, nearly falling backwards as a person collided with him. He stumbled back, then regained his balance, and used his free hand to steady the person in front of him. “I say, watch where you’re going!” he said, holding the person by their shoulder.

The person struggled for a moment, but then they relaxed, seeming to realize Port wasn’t doing anything to them. “S-sorry about that,” they said timidly.

Staring down at them, Port’s brow creased in confusion. It was a young woman, and she stared up at him with terrified eyes. Her name was Ruby Rose if he remembered correctly, and she was one of his most active patrons. In all his years Port had never met anyone that bought so much milk…

He released her shoulder and set the milk down, giving her a firm look. “What do you think you’re up to?” he asked sternly. “I nearly died of fright!” he said, his mustache twitching back and forth. “Not, that I was scared mind you!” he said quickly. “A man such as myself never feels frightened. Why I remember-”

He kept rambling on and on, not noticing that Ruby was no longer listening to him, but rather was looking over his shoulder, her face going white as she spotted two figures across the street, their white masks just visible in the darkness.

“ _Oh no!_ ” she whispered.

“Oy _,_ are you paying attention?” Port asked sharply.

Ruby’s eyes flashed back to him, and she started, staring at him in such a way it made Port nervous. A slow smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and Port could swear he could see a light bulb go off over her head. “Please sir, can I borrow your cap and coat?” Ruby pleaded, gesturing at his standard milkman attire.

“My cap and coat?” Port asked incredulously. “My cap and coat? Come on then, what’s the game?”

Ruby’s smile faded, and she sighed nervously. “I need to make a getaway,” she admitted, rubbing her arm nervously.

Port stared at her suspiciously. “Whatchoo been up to?” he asked, hands on his hips.

Ruby bit her lip, glancing around every which way for other people. Seeing that the coast was clear she sighed again, holding her purse and Blake’s book close to her chest. “Alright, I guess I’m going to have to trust you. You see, there’s been a murder and-”

“ ** _A murder!?_** ” Port exclaimed, and Ruby shushed him quickly.

“Keep your voice down!” she hissed, glancing nervously back and forth, half expecting assassins to jump out from behind the bushes.

“A murder,” Port said again, quieter. “A murder by who?  _By you?_ ” he asked, stepping away from Ruby nervously, as if he were afraid she would attack him.

“No!” Ruby said quickly, waving her hands back and forth in front of her. “By those two across the street, the ones in the white masks,” she said, pointing at them.

“ _I see,_ ” Port said with fake thoughtfulness, “And I suppose now they’re waiting good as gold for a cop to come and arrest them then?”

“It’s the truth!” Ruby said, “They’re spies, foreigners. They just killed a woman in my flat and now they’re waiting for me!”

“Oh come off it,” Port said, picking his basket full of milk bottles back up. “Funny jokes at five o’clock in the morning? You younger people certainly have a horrid sense of humor. Why in my day-”

He began rambling again, and Ruby wracked her brain for another excuse. She needed his hat and coat if she wanted to get past those two, so what could she possibly say to make this man give them to her? Ruby groaned. What would Blake have done in a situation like this? Then an idea hit her, and it was so simple she inhaled sharply. Could it really work?

“An affair,” Ruby said suddenly.

“What?” Port asked, confused.

“I’ll tell you the truth,” Ruby said, the whole story already formulated in her mind. “Are you married?” she asked.

“Yes, but don’t rub it in!” Port said with a huff.

“Well, I’m not, I’m a bachelorette,” Ruby said, holding her tongue at his remark.

“Lucky you,” Port grumbled. “Why my wife won’t-”

“And I’ve been seeing this married woman,” Ruby said quickly, cutting him off before he could start telling another story.

“Oh- _ho!_ ” Port said, his mustache twitching as he smiled knowingly, waving a finger at Ruby. “ ** _Naughty,_** ” he teased.

“The point is,” Ruby said, hoping it was dark enough that the milkman couldn’t tell how flushed her face was from telling this lie, “She was leading me on.” she declared with false wistfulness.

“ _No,_ ” Port said in disbelief.

“It was all a setup!” 

“Would you believe it,” Port said, shaking his head.

“See those two people over there?” Ruby asked, pointing out the White Fang thugs under the streetlight.

“ _I_ **_do,_** ” Port said.

“One’s her brother,” Ruby explained, “And the other is her wife.” Ruby felt herself grinning as she saw her lie had the intended effect, Port’s expression all too sympathetic.

“Well call me a Grimm spawn,” Port muttered, shaking his head. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. Here, take my cap and coat,” he said, taking them off and handing them both to her.

“Thank you,” Ruby said with relief, quickly covering her own coat with the milk man's and putting the hat on her head, carefully concealing her black hair under it. “Um,” she said, “Here! Take some lien for your troubles,” she said, reaching into her coat pocket and handing it to him.

“Twenty lien, that’s very kind of you,” Port said.

“Take forty,” Ruby said, handing him even more.

“Forty lien!” Port exclaimed, “Gods bless your headmaster! Now run along miss, not the sort of hour girls like you should be about.”

Ruby nodded her head in acknowledgment, and before the Port could get another word in she took off into the night, heading as fast as her legs could carry her to the nearest train station. Her feet pounded hard against the cool pavement, and she felt a jolt of thrill race through her bloodstream as she sprinted straight past the White Fang goons, who paid her no mind as she darted by, probably assuming she was just a milkman running late. She nearly jumped for joy as she made it past them, and she smirked, wondering how they’d react if they knew who she was. Rather than stick around to find out Ruby pushed herself forward, knowing deep in her heart that her journey, perhaps even her destiny, was finally underway. What it held and what dangers she would face Ruby had no clue, but she knew one thing for sure.

She wouldn’t let Blake or the people of Remanent down. The Thirty Nine Iceflowers were going to pay dearly, Ruby would see to that.

Port, who was still smiling as he watched Ruby disappear into the early morning mist, began to put the lien she had given him into his coat pocket. He froze, then looked back up, his face aghast. “ _Hang on,_ ” he said, “That was outta my coat! That’s my money you just handed me!” he shouted, picking the milk back up. “Oy! Come back here,  ** _Oy!_** ”

Ruby didn’t hear him, and as she turned a corner past the drug store Ruby finally let out a loud whoop, the white milk man's coat spreading like wings around her as she raced down the hill, shouting "To  _Alt-na-shell-ach!_ ”She sped down the sleepy streets of Patch, not caring who heard her as she laughed in excitement. Inhaling large lungfuls of crisp morning air Ruby looked up at the starry sky, smiling.  

 _I’ll finish what you started Blake,_  she thought.

" _I promise._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so SORRY about Blake. I didn't realize how crushing it would be to have her die until I was done writing this. Gods, I had just gotten over Pyrrah and Penny, why did I do this to myself, to you!?
> 
> Anyvays, I really hoped you enjoyed the chapter. 
> 
> Until next time, please comment and kudos, because SERIOUSLY I LIVE ON APPRECIATION (kind of a narcissist, pathetic really, but whatcha gonna do other than help me fuel it?)
> 
> ; D


	5. I can do this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's journey has finally begun! On a train heading for Atlas and away from the White Fang, things can only get better from here... right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sry I haven't published a chapter for this fic in a reeeeaaaalllllllyyyyy long time, schools been taking up a lot of my attention (and my typing fingers, oww...)
> 
> I'll have a lot more writing opportunities this summer, but I'm still going to be pretty busy. On top of normal life stuff, I'm gonna be retaking algebra two (yay me).
> 
> So, just as sorta a status update, I'm hoping to finish this fic before school starts up again in the fall (fingers crossed), and I also want to add onto the other fics I have up AND post some new ones I've been working on for a while. So, here's hoping I meet my goals (for once)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Woah!” Ruby cried out as she teetered back and forth precariously in the train. It was constantly shifting, and in her less lucid moments, when her fatigue finally caught up with her, if she closed her eyes Ruby could imagine this was what it was like to traverse the belly of a Grimm.

Staggering dangerously, she reached out and grabbed desperately for something to support herself, arms flailing as she tried her best not to fall. Her fingers snagged onto a door handle and Ruby clutched it tightly, sighing with relief as she leaned against it tiredly. Suddenly the train lurched and she gasped, nearly falling into the compartment as her weight pushed the door open.

“Hey, watch it!” a passenger shouted, staring angrily at Ruby from his seat.

“Sorry,” Ruby mumbled, blushing as she straightened up. She quickly shut the door while the man looked at her resentfully, and Ruby gave him a nervous, apologetic smile that quickly fell from her face as soon as the door was shut. Groaning, she continued her walk down the hallway, wobbling like a pathetic drunkard.

The other passengers she had seen seemed fine, but honestly, Ruby had never been the steadiest person on her feet, and navigating the wobbling coaches was an absolute _nightmare._ Her stomach grumbled with displeasure, and she put a hand to her mouth, fighting the urge to be sick. “Worst way to travel,  _ever_ ,” she mumbled through her fingers.

She had almost missed the train, barely purchasing her ticket and jumping aboard it in time before it had departed. If she hadn’t gotten on when she had, Ruby would’ve needed to wait for only the Gods knew how long for the next one, and during that time she would have been at risk of discovery by the White Fang. She sighed miserably. She wanted to feel happy that she was finally out of harm's way, that the White Fang was long behind her, but she was feeling a bit discouraged at this point. Here she was, tired, nervous, and absolutely exhausted. Ruby couldn’t find a compartment with an open seat - or even nice people willing to share their space - and her stomach was threatening to heave its remaining contents onto the blue carpet.

Yep. This journey was off to a  _great_ start.

Ruby sighed again, and it quickly turned into a tired yawn. She rubbed her sleep-deprived eyes, groaning. The initial adrenalin rush from starting out on her quest had long since abandoned her, and considering the fact she had gone to bed sometime around one in the morning, Ruby’s long-held opinion that a person should always get more than five hours of sleep, was thoroughly confirmed. If only she was a little more awake, Ruby was sure she wouldn’t be struggling as much.

The fact that the tracks were in the middle of construction weren’t helping matters either.

Patch had been working on them for months, and they were nearly finished with the new changes, but not quite, making the trip rocky and unsteady. Combine that with her usual clumsiness  _and_ the fact that she was dead on her feet, it was a miracle Ruby had not yet resorted to crawling on her hands and knees as she searched desperately for a seat. She growled with self-disgust, cursing the train. Ruby had been on it for five hours, and she could now honestly say, with absolutely no resignation, that she  _hated_ this form of travel. A lot.

 _I have to be the most incompetent spy in the history of…_ ** _forever!_** Ruby thought exasperatedly, lowering her head with another sigh.

Suddenly she heard a giggle, and Ruby glanced back up, confused. Looking towards the middle of the train coach she was in, Ruby could see a door to one of the compartments was partially open. Listening carefully she could hear cheery laughter coming from inside of it, filling her chest with warmth at the sound of it. The idea of running into someone that wasn’t grouchy or mean gave her a renewed energy, and she smiled at the thought of a friendly conversation to take her mind off of everything else. With a renewed determination, Ruby kept going.

“-for one thing they’re much prettier than they were twenty years ago.” Ruby could hear a voice say from inside the compartment as she drew closer.

“More free,” another voice agreed.

“Free  _and_ easy!” the first voice proclaimed, and they both roared with laughter.

Ruby smiled, then peeked inside. Sitting together on one seat were two women, talking in earnest with one another as they laughed at whatever joke they were sharing. One of them had long, blond hair that practically glowed, while the other had short orange hair. They were both looking at something in a suitcase that sat on the blond girl's lap, staring at it with a look Ruby might almost describe as hungry, making her pause. She shook her head though, mentally chiding herself for being quick to judge. They looked friendly enough, and there was plenty of room for her in the chair across from them. Besides, they were definitely better than anyone else she had found, so she would just have to deal.

Taking a deep breath Ruby knocked on the door gently, smiling shyly as both girls stopped talking and looked up at her. “Do you have room for one more?” she asked politely.

“ _Absolutely!_ ” the orange-haired girl exclaimed, gesturing towards the seat earnestly.

Ruby smiled with relief. “Thank you,” she said, entering the compartment quickly. A small part of her worried that they would change their minds if she didn’t hurry, but once she was in and no one objected to her presence, Ruby sank gratefully into her seat, sighing as she relaxed.

“Yeah, just sit your big ole  ** _caboose_**  down on the chair,” the blond one said, smirking.

Ruby started, nearly falling out of her seat, and she blushed as the girl snickered at her.

“Yang, that was  _so bad!_ ” the orange hair girl whined, shoving her companion's shoulder playfully.

The blond, whom Ruby now knew was called Yang, sighed. “You’re right Nora, I must have lost my,  ** _train_**  of thought.” she finished, flashing a wink at Ruby.

“ _Yang!_ ” Nora shrieked, and they both burst out laughing.

Ruby blinked, wondering if it was too late to brave walking again as opposed to staying where she was.

“Anyway,” Yang said, turning her attention back to Nora, “Do you remember the old-fashioned sort?”

Nora nodded thoughtfully, curling her lips in distaste. “All bones and no bends,” she complained, waving a hand in the air dramatically.

“My ex!” Yang said, and they both laughed again, the train whistle screeching seemingly along with them.

Ruby raised her eyebrow, contemplating whether or not she really wanted to know what exactly these two were talking about. It didn’t sound pleasant, but she was curious. Of course, it was curiosity that got her mixed up in this whole mess with Blake and the Thirty Nine Iceflowers, but she couldn’t exactly help it as she watched Yang and Nora laugh over their mysterious joke. Yang caught her staring, and she gave her a sly smile, one that Ruby thought looked far too much like an animal cornering its prey. She shrank back in her chair, smiling nervously.

“What?” she asked, relieved her voice didn’t go up an octave.

Yang smirked at her discomfort and leaned forward. “Tell me, does your underwear have holes in it?” she asked casually.

Ruby frowned in confusion, feeling her cheeks heating up slightly. “Um, _no_ ,” she said, her mind screaming at her to leave.

“ _Then how did you get your legs in them?_ ” Yang asked, snickering.

“Yang!” Nora squawked, slamming her head back against the back of the chair as she laughed.

Yang chuckled with her, before realizing Ruby wasn’t amused. “Sorry,” she said, brushing a tear out of her eye. “I just couldn’t resist. Also, I had a real reason to ask that.”

“ _And that is?_ ” Ruby asked with growing anxiety, debating just jumping off the train and hitchhiking to Atlas. These two were just far too, garrulous? Was that the word? Either way, the blond one told too many jokes. It was almost as nauseating as the ride itself…

“I’ll make this,  ** _brief_** ,” Yang said, and Nora snickered again. “My partner and I are traveling, _saleswomen_ , so to speak _._ ”

“Oh?” Ruby asked, not sure where this was going. “What do you sell?”

Yang smile twisted mischievously, making Ruby tense nervously. “Oh, a little of this, a little of that,” she said nonchalantly, reaching a hand into the suitcase, the same one both she and Nora had been looking in when Ruby had first come in. “Now, get a load of these beauties!” she exclaimed, pulling something out.

Ruby’s face turned a shade of scarlet that put her name to shame, staring bug-eyed at the article of clothing in Yang's hand. She swallowed hard, trying and failing to avert her gaze as the fabric swayed back and forth.

“Ooh!” Nora exclaimed, “The new streamline model number one!  _Very_ nice.”

It was an exotic women's lingerie, black with lace. Ruby’s mouth opened, then closed. She swallowed, quickly turning her gaze to the window.  _Don’t picture Blake in it, don’t picture Blake in it! s_ he repeated in her mind over and over again.  _Come on! How sick does one have to be to imagine a_ **_dead_** _person in their underwear!?_

“Got anything to go with it?” Nora asked cheekily, and Ruby shot a glare at her.

She didn't seem to notice, and much to Ruby’s horror Yang reached back into the suitcase, pulling out a lacy suspender belt a second later. “Look at this little beauty!”

“Now that’s a sight for sore eyes!” Nora exclaimed. “The two _wonders_ of the modern world.”

“You know what would make them nicer?” Yang asked suddenly. Ruby turned her head back to the blond, and she flinched as the girls smile twisted until it looked devilish, and  _entirely_ too knowing. “ ** _If they were filled!_** ”

Ruby made an alarmed noise at the back of her throat, and both girls laughed again. Ruby covered her face, groaning as they both cackled at her discomfort.

“Get it?” Yang asked.

“Get it?” Nora repeated the same question a second later.

“When they’re filled?” Yang pushed further.

“When they’re filled?” Nora repeated again, starting to sound a bit like a parrot.

“ _Don’t be shy,_ ” they both said simultaneously, and Ruby managed a small chuckle to placate them.

“That’s the spirit!” Nora said.

Seemingly satisfied, Yang and Nora turned their attention back to one another, apparently forgetting about Ruby all over again. After waiting a few moments for another awkward conversation to be pressed on her, Ruby came to the conclusion that none was coming, and she decided to just ignore them. Closing her eyes, she relaxed further into her seat, only picking up bits and pieces of the girl's conversation. After a few minutes she heard Yang wonder aloud where they were, and a second later a huge gush of cold air hit Ruby. Her eyes snapped open, and she stared incredulously at Nora, who had opened the window and had proceeded to stick her head out of it. Ruby shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders as the girl read signs they passed by.

“Halifax… Durham… Berwick-Upon-Tweed…”

Those locations all sounded vaguely familiar, which Ruby deduced meant they were close. Sure enough, a few minutes later Ruby could feel the train slowing down, and abruptly it applied its breaks, coming to a stop so suddenly that she almost fell out of her seat. The train whistled a moment later, and Ruby sighed with relief.

“Here we are!” Nora trilled happily. “Edinburgh town.”

“Huh?” Ruby asked, confused. Edinburgh? She had no clue where that was. Had she gotten on the wrong train!?

Before her panic could set in Nora chuckled with embarrassment. “Oh, sorry, must have been drinking too much coffee again,” she explained apologetically. “I meant to say, _here we are! Atlas_.”

Ruby relaxed, frowning at Nora. The girl had very nearly given her a heart attack…

“That was quick,” Yang quipped, standing up and stretching. “Wonder who won the two o'clock at Vale.”

“I’ll get a paper!” Nora said, jumping up.

“I’ll go to the lavatory,” Yang said decisively.

They both moved for the door at the same time and ended up bumping into one another. Ruby might have laughed if she hadn’t felt like groaning with frustration.

“Oh, sorry!” Yang exclaimed.

“No no, excuse me, sorry!” Nora said back.

They tried again and got the same results. A second later they did it again, _and again_. Finally, they both managed to exit the compartment, and Ruby hit her head back against the chair, fighting the urge to scream bloody murder at whichever God decided that this was going to be her fate.

Taking a deep breath through her nose, Ruby held it for a moment, then exhaled, hard and long. _Okay,_ she thought. _I’m in Atlas. I just need to wait for the next stop, then I can take a car, or heck, maybe even_ ** _walk_** _, to_ _Alt-na-shell-ach_ _._

Ruby looked out the window, and she shivered. The windows were covered in frost, and she shuddered at the thought of traveling across Atlas's cold landscape on foot. She took another calming breath. _I gotta remember,_ she mentally reminded herself, _This is all for Blake, for Patch, maybe even the fate of all of Remnant! I can put up with those two for another forty-five minutes._

 _“_ I can do this,” she said, switching to talking out loud. “I can do th-”

“We’re  _ba-ack!_ ” came Yang’s cheerful voice.

 _I…_ ** _can’t_**   _do this_

Ruby groaned and pulled her red hood over her head, resisting the urge to massage her temples. A headache had already set in, so what was the use?

Yang and Nora had the same difficulty getting in as they had getting out, the only difference being Nora ended up falling into Ruby’s lap. When they were finally,  _finally_ back in their distinctive seats, Nora sighed contentedly and opened the newspaper she had grabbed. “Oh my Gods!” she shrieked, making Ruby jump in surprise.

“What is it?” Yang asked, peering at the black and white paper.

“There’s been a woman murdered at a flat in Patch!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dodges objects flying at head* 
> 
> Oh, come on! I thoughts Yang's jokes were perfectly 'punny'
> 
> *gets smacked in the face by a rotten tomato*
> 
>  
> 
> Hey everyone! I'm so, SO sry that this chapter is smaller than the last one, I'm really bad at keeping them the same length... 
> 
> But fear not! 
> 
> My plan for future chapters is to at least TRY to make them longer than this since more and more stuff's about to happen (yeah, needless to say Ruby's about to enter one hell of a shit storm)
> 
> See you all next time! (Or, you know, in the comments section *nudge nudge*)  
> ps, not to be a spoilsport, but Wiess shows up in the next chapter!!!  
> ; )


	6. A Stolen Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby Rose steals a kiss from Wiess Schnee, and is nearly caught by the authorities. So eventful!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for being so patient. As promised, Wiess makes her first appearance in this chapter! There are also a few surprise characters (hint hint, they have badges... ; >)
> 
> Once again my lovely editor could not proofread, so I hope it's satisfactory. 
> 
> Enjoy!!!

_One hour earlier_

“Mornin’ Miss Rose!” Klein called cheerfully as he stepped into the small flat. “‘ow yer keepin’?”

He didn’t get a response, but the butler simply shrugged it off, knowing that even though it was already seven o’clock in the morning, it was also a weekend. It wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest if Miss Rose was still asleep. Closing the door behind him, Klein turned around and tsked under his breath as he caught sight of the state of the apartment. Dishes lay unclean beside the kitchen sink - two sets of plates, Miss Rose must have had company the night before - and the sheets used to cover the furniture while the decorators re-painted the walls were in total disarray, lying haphazardly on the furniture and on the floor. The closet door was also open, a couple of coats lying abandoned inside of it on the floor. It was almost as if someone had violently opened it, grabbed one of the coats and had knocked the others down by accident in their haste. Klein frowned.

He hadn’t really been worried when he had realized the door had been left open a crack, but now he wasn’t so sure. Miss Rose  _did_ tend to be forgetful about small things like this, but she hated having to give him more work than was strictly necessary. Had something happened? Was she even here?

Glancing couch, Klein chuckled with relief as he realized there was someone lying across it, covered with one of the sheets. The butler shook his head fondly. Miss Rose must have had quite the night last night if she fell asleep there.

Humming cheerfully, he stepped over to the windows and pulled open the drapes, letting the morning sunshine in. “Rise and shine Miss Rose!” he called over his shoulder, sighing as he was bathed in the warm sunshine. “What a lovely morning this morning it is...em, this _morning_. And what about this ‘ere heat wave?” he continued, moving towards the couch. He stopped in front of it and began lifting the sheet. “I ain’t never seen nothing like it. People dropping-”

Klein paused. He had removed about a third of the tarp, and he frowned in confusion. This…  _wasn’t_ Miss Rose. This woman had long black hair and wore purple eyeshadow on her eyelids. His brows knit together in confusion, and he studied the woman's face intently, traveling down neck back, and his eyes widened as he caught sight of the back of her dress; soaked with blood. “Like…”

Klein ripped the sheet the rest of the way off, staring in horror at the woman who was unquestionable, undeniably, _dead_.

He opened his mouth to scream-

 

_~oOo~_

 

The train whistle ripped Ruby violently from her shock, making her jump in her seat. For a moment she forgot where she was, but as a man began shouting he had paper’s for sale from outside of the window, she came back to herself. Train, she was on a train in Atlas. Right. Not in her apartment with Blake… Blake’s body.

Ruby shuddered, then glanced apprehensively at the paper Nora held in her hands, wishing the red-head would place it on her lap so that Ruby could lean over and try to read it upside down. Her heart was pounding like crazy, and she hugged herself tightly, trying to keep her breathing slow and calm. Did she hear Nora wrong when she said there had been a murder at a flat in Patch? Was it a coincidence? Or…

Or was she even less safe than she had originally thought?

“A murder?” Yang asked, peering closely at the newspaper.

Nora nodded. “Yes,” she said, “They found her body earlier this morning.” She shook her head in sympathy. “Stabbed in the back, she was. Poor dear was absolutely  _covered_ in blood.”

Ruby began to tremble. She opened and closed her mouth over and over again as she fought the urge to snatch the newspaper from Nora's fingers. She instead focused on the facts. A murder, in patch, knife, _blood_. There was no doubt in her mind now that it was Blake they were talking about.

' _But_ ** _how!?_** 'her mind screamed. ' _Who on earth could_ have-'

Ruby started, realization dawning on her. “ _Klein!_ ” she hissed under her breath, slapping herself on the forehead. How could she forget about the butler she had hired to come clean her flat twice a week? Of all the  _stupid_ things she had ever done, this had to range in the top three - bringing Blake home being the first.

Yang scowled with disgust. “All these sex drama’s don’t appeal to me,” she muttered harshly, leaning back in her seat after she had glanced over the headlines. “Who won?”

Nora glanced up from the paper in confusion. “What won, what?” she asked.

“The two o’clock at Vale,” Yang said, scowling as if it should have been obvious.

“...really Yang?”

“What?” the blond protested. “I bet good money on that.”

Nora rolled her eyes, and Ruby watched as she flipped the newspaper open to a different page. She groaned, rubbing her face tiredly. She couldn’t believe the news had picked up on it so quickly! Especially all the way out here, in the frozen plains of Atlas. Did that mean the professor had already heard? Would she know who the papers were talking about as well and leave  _Alt-na-shell-ach_ to investigate?

“Anyway, where was we?” Nora said.

Ruby focused her attention back on the two underwear saleswomen, biting her bottom lip as Nora flipped back to the front page. She held her breath as Nora began to read the article from the beginning.

“Right, ‘ere we go. Stabbed in the back she was, at a fashionable flat in Patch. A well-dressed woman, about twenty-five.” She clucked her tongue. “ _Terrible,_ ” Nora murmured.

“Terrible,” Yang agreed, now more open to how horrible the poor women’s situation was since she wasn’t distracted by her gambling.

They both looked up at Ruby expectantly, and she quickly nodded her head in agreement. “T-terrible,” she stuttered.

Yang looked closer at the paper. “It says here that the tenant, Ruby Rose, is  _missing!_ ”

“You do surprise me!” Nora exclaimed, inspecting the text.

If one had been walking past the door to their compartment at that moment, they would have no doubt heard the terrific shriek that came from inside. Even so, Nora and Yang only briefly glanced at Ruby before looking back at the paper.

“Says here the woman’s approximately twenty-one,” Nora continued, “Has black hair with red tips, and _piercing_ silver eyes.”

Ruby quickly pulled her red hood over her head, concealing her hair. “Excuse me,” she squeaked, keeping her eyes downcast, “Might I have a look at your paper?”

“Certainly!” Nora said, handing it to Ruby.

“Thank you,” Ruby said, trying not to look desperate as she grabbed it. As she finally caught sight of the headline the girl bit her cheek to prevent a whine from slipping past her lips. S _he_ was a  _suspect_ now! What was she going to do? If the papers here had already gotten word of it, then who was to say the authorities hadn’t been informed at  _Alt-na-shell-ach_?

She bit her thumb, teeth worrying at the flesh. ‘ _Alright, don’t panic,_ ’ she thought, _‘Just have to avoid saying my name and keep my hood over my head. Easy.'_  She wished she sounded more convincing.

“Oh!” Yang exclaimed suddenly. “I just remembered-”

Suddenly the train whistle blew again, and Yang fell short as they began exiting the station. For a moment the three girls just sat in comfortable silence, staring out the window as the countryside flew by. Ruby began to relax again and was a bit startled when the silence was broken a moment later.

“You were saying?” Nora prompted, looking at Yang.

“The police are searching the train,” the blond said. “ _Every compartment._ ”

“What!?” Ruby shrieked, leaping to her feet.

Yang gave her an odd look but nodded. “Yep. I didn’t really think much of it at the time, but I bet they’re searching for this _Ruby Rose_ person.”

“I hope so,” Nora said. “We can’t let them know _we’re_ on the run!”

Ruby paused, having been about to run out of the compartment. “You are?” she asked, stunned.

“Oh yes,” Nora said solemnly. “From our _boyfriends!_ ”

Yang snickered. “Yep, just riding the rails, selling underwear!”

“That’s all we do!” Nora chimed in. They both laughed, and Nora opened her newspaper to a new page. “Oh! Here’s a good story,” she said, trailing her finger along the text. “A young man from Nantucket, grew a venus flytrap in a bucket,” Nora’s smile grew wider, and Ruby fidgeted, knowing that look meant nothing good. “He said when it grew ‘now what do I do? Do I keep it for breeding, _or-_ ’”

The train whistle shrieked again, and Ruby used that moment to escape whatever horrible thing Nora was about to read. She shut the door hard behind her and leaned against it with a bitter sigh.

“Excuse me, have you seen this woman? Her name is Ruby Rose.”

Ruby’s head snapped to the side, and she gasped. A man wearing a Junior Detectives badge was peering into a compartment a few doors down, holding a paper in his hand out for the person he was talking to too see. His tail, a monkey’s, held a few more of the same posters in its grip, and it that moment one slipped, fluttering closer to where Ruby stood. She stared bug-eyed at it, feeling a strangled sob bubbling up in her chest. It was a picture of  _her_ , a wanted poster!

“She’s a wanted criminal on charges of murder. We’re to apprehend her at all cost,” the man continued. “Are you sure you haven’t seen her?”

Ruby began backing away slowly. She had to get off this train **_now_** -

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but have you seen this woman?”

Ruby whirled around with a startled cry. Another man with a Junior Detectives badge, this one with blue hair and lacking any Faunus traits, was peering into another compartment at the opposite end of the corridor, holding another wanted poster in his hand. Ruby whipped her head back and forth, staring at horror at both men. She was trapped, caught in the middle. The detectives were slowly getting closer,  _closer_ as they kept knocking on compartment doors, slowly but surely making their way down to her. At that moment the train entered a tunnel, and the lights flickered erratically. Every time it got brighter the men were closer, and Ruby felt like she was going to cry.

She was going to get caught, arrested for a crime she hadn’t committed. With her luck, she’d end up on death row, and Patch would be  _doomed!_

Suddenly the train swayed, and she fell against the door behind her. The detectives were only one compartment away each, and in a moment of blind panic, she flung the door open and stepped inside, slamming it shut behind her. A young woman that had been sitting inside stood up, her book falling off her lap onto the floor. She paid it no mind, staring at Ruby with her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her blue eyes shining with warring concern and mistrust.

Ruby stared at her, gobsmacked. If Blake had been beautiful, this woman was absolutely _gorgeous_. She was pale, her skin brighter than freshly fallen snow. Her skin tone was only emphasized by the black shirt with silver buttons she wore, showing off her slender neck. Unfortunately, her legs were covered by a dark blue pencil skirt, but it did hug her figure quite nicely, in Ruby's opinion.

“Well?” the girl demanded, flushing under Ruby’s gaze.

Ruby blinked and was about to reply when a sharp knocking came at the door. Not even thinking, Ruby reached forward and grabbed the girls arm, pulling her forwards. The girl let out a small shriek, but Ruby ignored it as she heard the door opening behind them. “Darling, how _wonderful_ it is to see you again!” she exclaimed, crashed their lips together in a deep, bruising kiss.

At first, the girl had been too stunned to do anything other than stand stiffly in Ruby's hold, but Ruby, much to her shock, felt the girl slowly relaxing, _responding,_ even, to the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Ruby’s waist, and Ruby closed her eyes, bringing a hand up to clutch the girl's white hair. Dimly, she could hear the two detectives whispering behind them, and Ruby stiffened at what they said.

“Someone's having a free lunch in there,” one of them said, snickering.

“A free pudding too!” the other exclaimed quietly. "I wouldn't mind helping myself!"

They both chuckled, and Ruby sighed through her nose as she heard them leave, their footsteps echoing down the corridor. The second she was sure they were gone, she ended the kiss, shoving herself away from the girl. “I am so, so sorry!” she shrieked.

The girl, looking a bit lost from her blissed daze, stared uncomprehendingly at Ruby, sinking back down into her chair as she brought a hand to her lips. “I, w-what…” she trailed off, looking upset.

Ruby winced, staring at the girl guiltily. After a moment she spoke, and her voice only wobbled slightly on the first word. “P-please,” she said desperately, “Believe me, I’m  _so_ terribly sorry, but those detectives are after me! I was desperate. My name is Ruby Rose, and I’m wanted for murder. But I’m innocent!” she exclaimed at the girl's horrified expression. “You’ve got to help me,” Ruby begged.

“Help you?” the girl asked incredulously.

“Yes!” Ruby said. “I need to keep free for the next few days, the safety of Patch depends on it.”

She was about to say more, but at that moment a figure appeared in the doorway. “Excuse us,” came a very familiar voice, “We’re so sorry to interrupt, but have you seen this woman, her name is Ruby Rose.”

Ruby pulled her hood up over her head, hunching into herself as she stared out the window. She dared to lift her head up a tiny bit to look back at the girl, her expression pleading. The girl looked torn, glancing from Ruby to the detectives. After a moment though she frowned angrily and took a step back.

“This is the woman you want, officers!” she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Ruby.

Ruby felt her heart fly up into her throat, and she shot the girl a hurt look before glancing at the detectives. They both looked confused, and they stared puzzledly at the girl. “But,” the blond one began, “But we just saw you two-”

“It's not what you think!” the girl exclaimed, looking disgusted at the notion she had been kissing Ruby _willingly_. “Look, she shoved her way in here and forced herself upon me. Her name is Ruby Rose!”

The two detectives eyes turned to Ruby, and she flinched, trying desperately to stay calm.

“Is your name Ruby Rose?” the one with the blue hair demanded.

Ruby shook her head vehemently. “Certainly not!” she said, laughing nervously.

“But this, _attractive_ ,” the blue-haired detective winked at the girl, making her blush, “Young lady clearly just stated-”

Ruby gave a shout of frustration, pushing past the two detectives. “After her, Neptune!” the Faunus detective shouted.

“Right!”

Ruby paid them no mind, racing to the door at the end of the corridor. She threw it open, letting in a blast of cold air and snow. Ruby could hear the girl screaming as she rushed out, leaving the warmth of the coach behind. It slammed closed behind her, and she gasped, the wind biting at her skin. She leaped to the next coach, just as the door opened again behind her.

“Grab her!” one of the detectives shouted.

Ruby shrieked as a hand grabbed hold of her red cloak, and she held onto the door of the next train coach for dear life as the two detectives tried to pull her back. Suddenly there was a sharp gasp, and a very shaky voice said, “Sun, we’re over the forth bridge!”

Ruby looked down on impulse, and she swallowed a scream. They were so,  _so_ very high. A roaring river raged below them, and Ruby swallowed hard. She began to feel dizzy, and she clutched the handle even tighter, even as the icy metal bit into her skin. One of the detectives moaned.

“Oh Gods, there's so much water-”

“Not now Neptune!” the blond detective snapped. “Just pull!”

They yanked Ruby’s cloak harder, making her whimper. “S-stop!” she begged. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling frost form on her eyelashes. 

“Can I help?” asked another voice, and Ruby started as she realized it was the girl.

“Nope, leave it to us Miss!” the blue-haired detective, _Neptune_ , shouted over the roaring wind.

“I’ll just stand here then,” she shouted sarcastically

“Very good miss!” Neptune respond, not seeming to pick up on her irritation.

The two detectives pulled harder, and suddenly Ruby was only holding onto the door handle by one hand, her feet dangling between the coaches. She stared down at the tracks, imagining her body crushed by the wheels of the train-

“Just a thought?” the girl asked, interrupting Ruby’s morbid thoughts.

“Yes miss?” the other detective, _Sun_ , asked.

“What about the communication cord?”

“An excellent idea Miss!” Neptune shouted. “Can always count on a gorgeous woman to come up with a plan-”

“Also not the time Neptune!” Sun shouted. “Gods, flirt when we’re not about to die trying to capture a homicidal maniac!”

“Hey!” Ruby protested, staring angrily at the two detectives. “I did  _not_ kill Blake!”

“Should I pull it?” the girl asked, ignoring Ruby’s remark.

“Better leave it to us, Miss!” Sun said.

The girl scowled. “ _Righto._ ”

Suddenly Sun let go of Ruby's cloak, leaving just Neptune to grasp it, and Ruby gasped as she dipped even further down towards the tracks. She shrieked as a gust of wind hit her, pushing her body to the side. " _Scheisse!_ " Ruby whispered as she trembled, her feet now dangling helplessly above the rushing water below.

“Pulling the communication cord, now!” Sun shouted, and Ruby froze, realizing just what that meant. That meant the train was going, going to-

Neptune seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because he loosened his grip on her cloak, making her slip even farther down, her fingers just barely grasping the door handle. “Wait, we’re still on the bridge!” Neptune screamed. "Sun, _don’t-_ ”

But it was too late. The brakes screeched as the train came to a violent stop, and Ruby’s hand was ripped from the door. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and Ruby realized dimly that she was falling.

  
_Falling_ …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait, this is the sixth chapter. Ruby can't be dead, we're only 55% of the way through this fic. Egads! SHE LIVES!
> 
> Don't panic, I promise Ruby hasn't died. She's an excellent swimmer (I assume). I really hope the five-month wait was worth it. If you noticed any mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me. Comments and Kudos's give me energy! (better than coffee)
> 
> Anyvays, take care, and I'll read ya later!!!


	7. Most Mighty and Unforgiving Fathers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my darling readers! *yawn*
> 
> I'm so sorry I haven't updated this fic in a while, and that it's probably not the best chapter, I'm half asleep right now, I swear. I'll probably edit later. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for this important news bulletin: The West-End Patch Murder suspect, Ruby Rose, was spotted on a train headed to Atlas. Junior Detectives Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias report that she managed to escape by dropping from the fourth bridge, and it is unknown if she survived her plunge into the icy water below. Authorities advise caution, as she is most certainly dangerous. The search has temporarily been put on hold due to gathering darkness and continued snowfall…_

 

 

_~oOo~_

 

“E-excuse me?”

The man whirled around violently, and Ruby had to repress a startled shriek as he held a pitchfork threateningly towards her. His eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed as he glared at her. Ruby swallowed and smiled shakily at him, trying to keep her chattering teeth to a minimum even as snow landed lightly atop her head. Grimm spawn, she was freezing cold!

“H-hi!” Ruby greeted, sneezing a second later. She tried not to flinch as the man's eyes scanned her small form and wet attire suspiciously, feeling as if she were a bug under a microscope. She stared at his coat enviously, then glanced at the farmhouse behind him. It looked so warm and cheerful, like a setting in a children's book.  

After another moment of scrutinizing, the man took a step back and held the farm tool in a less threatening manner. He glowered at Ruby, and it was at that moment she took notice of the horns sticking out from his red hair. “What do you want?” he demanded.

Ruby bit her cheek to keep from frowning. “S-so sorry to disturb y-you,” she said, “B-but I s-s-seem to be a bit l-lost. Do you know where I-I can f-f-find-”

“If it’s work you’re looking for, you won’t find any in these parts,” the man said, interrupting her.

“W-work?” Ruby stuttered, frowning a brief instant before quickly plastering a sheepish smile on her face. “Oh y-y-yes! Work!” she said, chuckling. “Are you s-sure there aren’t any-” she paused, and whipped her head around quickly to scan her surroundings, making the man in front of her raise a brow in confusion. “Big. H-houses?” she whispered.  

“Big houses?” the man said loudly, earning a hissed shush from Ruby. “Nope, none in this vicinity.”

“O-oh,” Ruby mumbled. At that moment she happened to peer around the man shoulder, and there, off in the distance by a cliff, she could see a gigantic house standing alone, it’s window’s shining like warm beacons in the night, urging Ruby to come closer. “W-w-what about that h-house?”

“Huh?” the man asked, turning around. “Oh, you mean _that_ house?”

“Yes!” Ruby shouted, shivering as the wind nearly blew her over. Gods, how she hated the cold-

“That would be the professor's house,” the man said, cutting off her train of thought.

Ruby froze. “A professor!?” she exclaimed. “This wouldn’t happen to be  _Alt-na-shell-ach_ , would it?”

“Aye, that it is.”

Ruby could feel her excitement growing, a true smile splitting her face wide. She had found it!

“That house was vacant until recently,” the man continued. “The professor, a lady from _Mistral_ ,” he said with disgust. “And her family just moved in.”

Ruby nodded, only half listening as she clung to her sodden dress, trying to prevent the wind from exposing anything to this man. “A-alright, I’ll t-t-try there t-then. C-cheerio!”

She turned around, but the man grabbed her hood. “You’re not going anywhere tonight,” he growled.

Ruby swallowed harshly. “O-oh?” she asked, trembling now from more than just the cold.

“I can’t in good conscience allow you to try walking there in three feet of snow this late at night,” the man said firmly. “These lands can be deceiving, full of unfriendly people-”

 _Really?_ Ruby thought. _I couldn’t tell_

“And I know that house looks fairly close, but the reality is it’s fourteen miles away. You’ll either freeze to death or get eaten by a Grimm before you ever make it. Come, you can spend the night here.”

“Oh n-no,” Ruby said shaking her head as the man began dragging her past the gate. “I really d-d-don’t want to i-impose!”

The man grunted, but otherwise ignored Ruby as she continued to protest and struggle in his hold. “Velvet!” he shouted, cutting her off.

A second later the door swung open and a young woman stepped out of the house, her brown rabbit ears just barely fitting under the door frame. Her eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of Ruby, and she ducked her head shyly. “What is it Adam?” she asked, lifting her chin slightly as she addressed him.

Ruby stared at her, knowing that if it weren’t for her chattering teeth, her mouth would have fallen open in shock. Grimm spawn, this girl was just as pretty as Blake and the girl on the train. She groaned inwardly. _Oh, Gods have mercy on me-_

She let out a startled shriek as the man, _Adam_ , pushed her forwards, nearly sending her falling into the girl's arms.

“We have a guest.”

 

Ruby fidgeted in her chair, trying her hardest not to stare outright at the girl in front of her as she prepared a meal. This was rather difficult, unfortunately, seeing as how the kitchen was as small enough to be compared to a closet. All the same, Ruby forced herself to pay more attention to her surroundings rather than to Velvet, taking in everything slowly to make it last longer.

If the outside of the house had looked like it belonged in a storybook, then inside looked as if it was from straight out of a fairy tale. A tragic one, mind you. Ruby must have been colder than she had originally thought if this little farmhouse had seemed like a small piece of heaven. Well, at least the outside had. The interior, on the other hand, was terribly drab and carried an air of misery that almost made Ruby wish she were still outside. Velvet was the only source of anything remotely cheerful, and the poor girl jumped like a scared, well,  _rabbit_ every time the wind rattled the one dirty window.  

The silence was palpable, almost agonizingly so Velvet was tense Ruby swore the girl was nearly vibrating. The only thing the kitchen had going for it in Ruby’s opinion was that it was warm. If she turned her head just slightly, she could see her sodden cloak and dress drying by a roaring fire only a few feet away from her. The clothes she was currently wearing, the ones she had borrowed from Velvet, were itchy, but Ruby felt grateful for the warmth they gave her after spending so long in the cold. Speaking of warmth…

She reached with trembling - but thank the gods not frostbitten - hands to pick up the mug of coffee that had been placed before her only minutes before. Her eyes fluttered shut as she took a small sip, and she groaned, loving how the rich, creamy liquid filled her empty stomach with warmth. This was infinitely better than the swallows of icy water she had accidentally swallowed when she had fallen from the bridge and into the river.

That… that had sincerely sucked.

After she had managed to get out of the river onto its banks, she had wandered for what felt like hours until she found Adam and Velvet’s farm.

Beautiful, sweet Velvet…

 _Gods darn it,_ Ruby thought with a scowl.  _Why is it every attractive woman I’ve run into the past twenty-four hours has either died, tried to turn me in, or is already taken?_

Velvet’s ears perked, tilting in Ruby’s direction as she continued preparing something on the ancient farm stove. “Everything alright, miss?” she asked.

Ruby winced, realizing she had been grumbling under her breath. “Yes,” she murmured apologetically. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

Velvet turned her head for a brief moment to smile shyly at Ruby, and Ruby smiled back. It quickly turned into an angry frown. _His wife. How in the hells can she possibly be his wife!?_

Velvet, or Mrs. Taurus as Adam had introduced her, looked young enough to be the man’s daughter for Grimm's sake. Ruby had said aloud as much, asking Adam if he was Velvet’s father. He had scoffed, and with a very smug grin had walked over to Velvet and had thrown an arm around her shoulders possessively.

 _My_ ** _wife_** , he had sneered, holding Velvet even tighter against his side. _Mrs. Taurus._

Embarrassed and more than a bit horrified, Ruby had only been able to get out a startled  _Jolly good!_ before being whisked into the house by Velvet, who had promptly gotten her into warmer clothes, and had Ruby seated at the kitchen table whilst the rabbit Faunus prepared dinner.

“Um, if I may ask,” Ruby spoke quietly. “Where will I be sleeping tonight?”

Velvet turned around and rubbed her chin, looking thoughtful. “I suppose you’ll have to sleep on the armchair in the living room,” she said. She bit her bottom lip, looking utterly mortified at the suggestion. “I’m so sorry that we have nothin' better. If you want I could-”

“Oh no no no!” Ruby exclaimed, jumping from her seat. Her wooden chair made a horrible screeching noise as it scraped along the floor, and Ruby winced as it made Velvet’s ears press down in distress. “Sorry,” she said apologetically. “And the armchair’s fine, really it is. I could sleep anywhere right now, I’m so exhausted.” Ruby gave her a reassuring smile. “An armchair will be fine.”

An armchair was going to be horrible, Gods knew her back couldn’t take many more nights on those, but Ruby wasn’t going to say as such or make the poor girl feel any more guilty.

“Oh, a-alright,” Velvet murmured timidly. She must have read something in Ruby’s expression, because a moment later, she asked: “Do you need anything else, Miss?”

Ruby bit her bottom lip. She was desperate to get a look at the paper and see if the police knew where she was. But should she bringing attention to herself in that way”

“Miss?” Velvet asked again.

“Do you have a paper I could read?” Ruby asked hesitantly.

Velvet frowned. “I’m afraid not, Miss. My husband has it.”

“Oh.”

They went back to an awkward silence, neither of them really looking the other in the eye as Velvet began to set the table. It went on like that for another ten minutes before Ruby got too uncomfortable and broke the tension once again. “So, erm, been in these part long?”

The Faunus actually perked up at that, shaking her head. “No,” she said, “I’m actually from the city of Atlas.”

“Atlas?” Ruby asked in surprise.

“Yes, have you ever been?”

“No,” Ruby admitted. “But I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”

“Oh, it is,” Velvet said, her eyes shining. “The shopping district is so pretty at night, all the lights, exotic foods, and cinemas. Not to mention the people! All smiling and happy. My best friend, Coco, used to invite me to see her new selections before she put them out on the mannequins at her boutique Saturday nights.” Her ears drooped. “It’s Saturday night tonight…”   

Ruby felt her heart clench. She hated it when people were sad, especially pretty girls. “Well,” she began, “I’ve never been to Atlas, but I’ve been to Vale.”

“Really?” Velvet asked. “I’ve always wanted to travel there! It’s where Coco’s penpal, Fox, lives. She always made it sound so exciting.”

“I could tell you about it if you want over dinner,” Ruby offered.

Velvet’s face fell. “You can’t,” she said miserably. “Adam would never approve.”

Ruby blinked in surprise. “What?” she said. “Why on Remnant not?”

“He says it’s not good to think about all the horrible things beyond our farm.”

Ruby's mouth could have made a hole in the floor it was dropping so much this evening. “Do you actually believe that?” she asked, tilting her head as she studied the girl in front of her.

Velvet hugged herself, not answering as she stared at the floor. Having none of that, Ruby walked up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "If you wanted, I could tell you now,” she offered softly.

Velvet looked up at her, hope shining in her eyes. “Would you?”

Ruby smiled and nodded. “I’d be delighted to." Velvet smiled so beautifully that Ruby had to clear her throat before she could speak again. "So," she began, "What would you like to know?”

Velvets nose wrinkled adorably as she thought. “Is it true that Faunusism is practically nonexistent there? That there are no Human only stores or schools?”

“Yes,” Ruby said, smiling at the memory of Human and Faunus children alike playing together at a public playground.

“And, and is Beacon Academy truly as grand as people claim?” Velvet questioned wonderingly.

“I thought so,” Ruby said with a shrug. “I didn’t actually visit the school, but I saw it from an airship. It looked pretty amazing.”

Velvet nodded. When she opened her mouth to ask her next question, she paused; hesitated. “And… are the ladies there very pretty?” she asked, blushing.

Ruby felt her own cheeks flush, but pushing her own discomfort aside she reached a hand up to Velvets face, cupping her cheek. “They wouldn’t if you were standing beside them.”

Velvets eyes widened, her rabbit ears quivering. “You ought not to say that,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned into Ruby’s palm.

_BAM!_

Ruby and Velvet leaped back from each other in alarm, staring in confusion at the door that had been thrown open. Adam walked through it angrily, a newspaper gripped tightly in his hand. “Ought not to say, _what?_ ” he demanded.

Ruby didn't flinch, but it was a close thing. The way Adam said that wasn’t quite a snarl, but it was close enough. She really didn’t like that tone.

“Well?” Adam demanded, stalking towards them.

Ruby thought quickly. “I was- er, just telling your  _lovely_ wife how I prefer the town to the country!” she exclaimed, forcing herself to hold still as Adam bore down on her.

“The Gods made the country,” he growled in her face.

Ruby chuckled nervously. “So they did,” she said.

Adam scowled, then took a step back. “Is super ready woman?” he asked Velvet, not taking his gaze away from Ruby.

“Yes, Adam,” Velvet murmured softly.

“Then hurry it up!” the bull Faunus snapped, throwing his paper onto the table. He then moved over to where Velvet was cooking over a rickety old stove, and Ruby took a quick glance towards the newspaper. There was a little snow on it, so she brushed it off. The second the front page was revealed, Ruby felt something akin to a panic attack beginning to form in her chest.

“Do you mind if I look at your paper?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adam shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he muttered without turning around.

The second Ruby had it in her hands, they began to shake again. Right on the front cover was a picture of her, smiling at the camera as she stood outside the orphanage. It had been taken the day she had been old enough to leave, to start her own life and take the first steps of her greatest adventure. Ruby giggled somewhat hysterically, and Adam gave her an odd look before turning back to Velvet. The shot was a few years old, but you’d have to be an idiot not to recognize her. Without even thinking, Ruby tore the front page off, and threw it discreetly behind her back into the fireplace. She then set the paper back down on the kitchen table, with the back of it facing upwards. She was just in time because at that moment Adam turned around again.

“I never did catch your name,” he said, his eyes narrowed.

Ruby swallowed. “Oh, um...” she trailed off uncertainly. She couldn’t give them her real name, what could she do?

Adam smirked, cocking an eyebrow. “Miss _Oum_?” he asked incredulously.

Ruby blinked a few times. “Well, I uh-”

“Supper is ready!” Velvet cut in, setting a large pot down abruptly on the table.

Ruby sighed softly with relief. _That was too close,_ she thought.

They all sat down, Velvet and Ruby across from one another, Adam at the head of the table. Velvet began serving the meal, and Ruby could feel herself salivating as the smell of stew reached her nose. Gods above, she was  _starving_.

“Here ya are,” Velvet said, handing Ruby her bowl. Ruby nodded her thanks, staring at the thick chunks of meat and vegetables. “This looks incredible,” she told Velvet reverently, earning a blush from the girl. Smiling, Ruby began to pick up her spoon. Before she could bring it to her lips, however, Adam caught her wrist.

“I’ll say a blessing before we begin,” he stated gruffly.

Ruby froze, then nodded. “Alright,” she conceded, cradling her hand to her chest the moment Adam let go of it. She watched as he and Velvet closed their eyes and ducked their heads, following suit a second later. She heard Adam inhale, and she shut her eyes. She hadn't prayed in a while, maybe it would be good to, considering everything that had happened to her. After all, the Gods-

“Oh, most mighty and  _unforgiving_ fathers,”

Ruby’s eyes flew open, and she stared at Adam in shock as he kept going.

“Sanctify these bounteous and undeserved mercies to us miserable sinners. Make us bow on a bended knee, make us-”

Ruby glanced over at Velvet, who had also opened her eyes and lifted her head. She smirked and rolled her eyes, forcing Ruby to cover her mouth in order to suppress a giggle.

“- thy manifold blessings, beat our gluttonous thoughts-”

Ruby watched as Velvet let out an inaudible sigh, taking this as a sign the blessing was going to last for an unforeseeable amount of time. She stared at the man, thinking. Why on Remnant did he pray that God punishes him, while obviously uncaring of how behaved around others? It didn’t make any sense to her.

Ruby shook her head, turning to smile at Velvet-

And felt herself go pale as she watched her read the newspaper, the girls face contorting with growing horror.

“-  and _lash_ , our lustful desires, as with a three-forked flailing stick-”

Ruby felt like hitting herself. Of course the whole story wasn’t on the first page, and just because she tore off the picture of herself didn't mean there wouldn’t be a written description. Grimm spawn it!

“- pressing our bestial noses to the grindstone-”

Slowly, so very, very slowly, Velvet’s eyes rose to meet Ruby’s.

Ruby put every ounce of reassurance in her gaze that she could, mouthing explanations she wasn’t even sure Velvet could decipher. She waved her hands in bizarre gestures she herself only half understood, panic making them stranger by the second. She just had to make Velvet see that she was innocent! She had to-

Adam’s hands slammed into the table, _hard_ , making both Ruby and Velvet jump.

“ _\- and blinding our eyes to the tawdry beads and baubles of all worldly and wicked things,_ ” he practically screamed as he glared angrily at them. “ **AMEN!** ”

“Amen!” both Ruby and Velvet responded quickly.

Ruby hastily picked up her spoon and began eating, refusing to meet Velvet or Adams eyes. For the next few minutes, the only sounds that could be heard were those of the three of them eating, their spoon clattering against their bowls, and the fire crackling in the fireplace. Ruby shivered. The tension in the air thick enough to slice with a knife, and the unbearable silence-

“I just remembered!” Adam exclaimed suddenly, causing Ruby to choke on the bite she was taking. “I forgot to lock the barn,” he said in a calmer voice. He stood up. “I’ll go,” Ruby flinched as walked he past by her chair, glaring at her and Velvet in equal measure. “ _Lock it._ ”

The second he was out the door, Ruby leaped up from her chair and came to sit beside Velvet, explaining everything. Much to her relief, the rabbit Faunus believed her, and they held hands on top of the table as Ruby told her everything.

Unbeknownst to them, Adam was watching from the window, glaring murderously at their joined hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, funny story, Adam's prayer is word for word from the play. Too funny, I crack myself up! Hehehahahe, God am I glad it's the weekend. 
> 
> Hello my darling readers! Please don't forget to comment and Kudos. Read ya later!!!


	8. Since when do you know how to fly an Airship!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been a while. I think I actually did well with this chapter, I hope you approve.

“Miss? _Miss!?_ ”

Ruby groaned. There was no possible way it was anywhere past six in the morning, and that was being  _highly_ optimistic on her part. It had taken her forever to fall asleep on the armchair Velvet had provided her with - it was a century old at least, her neck was killing her - and she didn’t appreciate the sense of Deja Vu this was all giving her.

She cracked her eyes open and blinked a few times, trying to see just who had awoken her at such an ungodly hour. They widened as she realized Velvet was standing in front of her, the girl's rabbits ears twitching with worry and panic.

“Please Miss, you have to get up!” Velvet whispered, her eyes frantically darting to the door then back to Ruby’s face.

Ruby smiled dumbly as she studied Velvet, finding the Faunus _very_ cute in her white, silk nightgown. “Oh, hello,” she said, voice roughened from sleep. Her still not-quite awake mind allowed Ruby to trail her gaze up and down Velvet appreciatively, grinning at the way the brunette flushed as she admired the woman’s curves.

“Ah- no, no miss, I didn’t come to, uh…” she trailed off, then shook her head as if to rid her mind of whatever image she had come up with. “Miss Oum, come on! The Police are here, and-”

“What!?” Ruby shouted, leaping up. “The police? Where are they? How, where, no, _why_ -”

“Shush!” Velvet hissed, ears swiveling back and forth from Ruby to the front door.

For such an old farmhouse, it’s door was rather modern, in Ruby’s opinion. It had that bizarre glass you couldn’t quite see through decorating the upper part of it, and Ruby had to bite her tongue to keep from shouting in alarm at she saw shadows of people approaching.

“Oh, scheisse,” she hissed. “I’m not going to get out of this one.” Ruby swore she could feel her heart sinking as she thought about how very near the professor was. “And I was so close to.”

Velvet placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. Ruby didn’t have the energy to feel startled at the unexpected touch, and she simply leaned into it, sighing miserably.

“C’mon, miss,” Velvet said, handing Ruby her cloak. “There’s no need to despair. There’s a back door, it’s not visible from the front of the house. You’ll jus’ have to sneak out.”

Ruby turned her head to look at Velvet, noticing for the first time how close their faces were. “Velvet,” she whispered. “You’ve been so kind, I wish…”

Velvet shook her head sadly. “Whatever you're about to say, save it for another time. You need to leave now, while there’s still a chance.”

With that, she let go of Ruby’s shoulder and grabbed her hand. Ruby let her begin to pull her towards the door, silently thanking the Gods for giving her help through such a sweet person-

“A- _ha!_ ”

…and then damning them for pairing said dearheart with an arsehole like Adam.

Ruby didn’t jump out of her skin as he appeared out of the shadows, but it was a very near thing.

“A-Adam, Adam wai-” Velvet didn’t even get to finish her sentence as he began stalking towards them.

“I might have known” he snarled, eyes glowing red like a Grimm’s in the dark. “Makin’ love behind _my_ back.”

Ruby ground her teeth. She really, really,  _really_ didn’t like that tone!

“You,” Adam hissed, pointing at Ruby, “Get. Out!”

Ruby nodded. “Already on my way out the door,” she informed him.

Adam sneered. “And as for you,” he growled, grabbing Velvet by one of her rabbit ears, ignoring her cry of protest. “When I’m done, you’re gonna-”

Ruby slapped the hand back, surprising everyone standing in the dark living room, most of all herself. “Don’t touch her!” she snapped. “You have it all wrong, she was only trying to help me!”

Velvet grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away. “What are you doing? You have to leave!” She was ignored by both Ruby and Adam as they continued to glare at each other.

“Oh, I know what Velvet’s trying to do,” Adam growled. “She’s trying to bring shame and disgrace to my house.”

Ruby scoffed, rolling her eyes at the implication that someone as sweet as Velvet would ever do something like that. “Actually,” she said, “If you really want to know, I’m running from the police.”

That made Adam pause; blink. “The police?” he asked incredulously.

“Yep,” Ruby said, feeling somewhat smug due to the fact she had the Faunus so flustered. “They’re after me for murder.”

“Murder!?  _The police!?_ ”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and Ruby felt her smirk falling as the reality of her situation set in again.

“They’re right outside,” Velvet whispered.

Ruby swallowed. “Don’t let them in, tell them I’m not here!”

At this point, Adam looked about ready to explode. “And why on Remanent shouldn’t I turn you in?” he demanded, pushing past the two girls to get to the door.

In her panic, Ruby made what she would later consider one of her biggest blunders of the entire adventure. “I’ll make it worth your while!” she all but shrieked.

That made the farmer hesitate, his hand just inches from the handle. “How much have ya got?” he asked.

“About four hundred Lien,” Ruby stated, wincing as the police continued to bang on the door.

Adam paused for a moment to consider, then began walking back towards them. “Cash?”

“Ehm,” Ruby winced, thinking of all the ways she could spend that money. “Would you take a check?”

Adam bared his teeth. “Don’t be funny with me!” he snarled, raising his fist to hit her.

Velvet moved to stand in front of Ruby. “Pay him, pay him!” she pleaded over her shoulder.

Ruby frowned, but reached into her cloak pocket, pulling the money out. Unlike her hood, it wasn’t quite yet dry from the river water, and she had no qualms about shoving into the farmer's hand angrily. “Here,” she snapped.

Adam smirked and ran to the door, exiting out of it quickly enough that no one could see into the house. Ruby sighed. “Gods above,” she breathed. “Why can’t I just get a break-”

“Shh!” Velvet spoke suddenly, “Be quiet.”

Ruby tried to listen, but she couldn’t quite make out what Adam was saying to the officers outside. Velvets rabbit ears, however, twisted and turned at every word spoken, her movements becoming more and more rigid by the second.

“I knew it!” the Faunus whispered angrily, beginning to push Ruby into the next room. “He’s double-crossing you. You have to leave, now!”

“But- but what about-” Ruby ground her feet as they made it to the back door, refusing to move another inch. “But what about you?” she whispered, turning around to face Velvet.

Velvet smiled softly. “I’ll be fine,” she assured her.

It was a dirty lie, and they both knew it. Ruby reacted on impulse, pulling Velvet into a tight hug. The Faunus stiffened for a moment, before falling into the embrace, shuddering. “M-miss,” Velvet sobbed.

Ruby shushed her gently, rubbing her back in a comforting manner. “I wish I could take you away from all of this,” she sighed into the taller girls shoulder.

Velvet shook her head. “It… it’s my home. I, I don’t have anywhere else t’ go.”

“But what about Atlas?” Ruby implored, pulling back to look Velvet in the eyes. “What about your friend, Coco? Couldn’t you go to her?”

Velvet looked startled, as if the thought had never occurred to her. An instant later her face broke out in a wide smile. “Perhaps I will. Thank you, miss Oum. You’ve reminded me there’s so much more ou’ there for me than this ‘ere farm.”

Ruby smiled. “Assuming I’m alive, if you ever find yourself in Patch, feel free to come and find me. The newspapers have my address, after all.”

Velvet giggled. “Oh!” she exclaimed, as if a thought had just occurred to her. “Hang on, this was in your pocket.”

Ruby with growing confusing as Velvet reached towards a side table which stood next to the back door, opening a small drawer and pulling out-

Embarrassment could not even begin to describe the emotion Ruby was feeling as Velvet handed her Blake’s book. “I- oh gods,” she murmured, flushing. “Look, I, um, this isn’t, that is to say, I would _never_ -”

Velvet frowned in concern. “Oh dear, are y’ already cold?” she asked. “You’re cheeks are awfully red.”

That only made them flare harder. “No,” Ruby said, “I’m just…”

“Here, take my husbands coat.”

She pulled it off of a hook, draping it over Ruby’s red cloak and shoulders before she could protest. It was the same one she had eyed enviously when she had first met Adam, and Ruby sighed as she realized how warm it was.

“You’ll have to hurry now,” Velvet warned, her ears cocked towards the door. “I think they’re about to come in.”

Ruby nodded, hurriedly putting the coat on properly; sticking _Ninjas of Love_ in a breast pocket, so that she could feel it resting against her chest. “Velvet,” she said, biting her bottom lip, “I-”

At that moment, the sound of the door bursting open made them both jump. “Go, go now!” Velvet shouted.

“Alright,” Ruby said, turning the handle. “But not before I do this.”

She grabbed the front of Velvet’s nightgown and pulled the Faunus down, crashing their lips together. Velvet made a startled noise, but Ruby didn’t stop to see if she kissed her back. The next moment she was shoving Velvet away and racing out into the cold morning.

“There she is!” a very familiar, blue-haired Junior Detective shouted. “After her!”

“I see her Neptune!” his blond companion responded. “Hey you, stop in the name of the law!”

Ruby ignored them. “I’ll never forget you!” she called over her shoulder to Velvet, hoping the words weren’t lost to the wind and the shouts of the pursuing detectives.

 

_~oOo~_

 

_We are sorry to interrupt this programme of popular Atlis Romantic Music, to set your heart a quiver, to bring you an important news flash._

_Ruby Rose, wanted in connection to the West-Patch murder, has been spotted on the Atlas countryside. Junior detectives Sun and Neptune have warned that she is most certainly armed and dangerous._

_Here is her description once again: Approximately twenty-one, with dark, blackish/red short hair, a red cloak, and, of course, her very attractive silver eyes. Her time on the Moores has actually made her slightly more rugged looking, which makes her look even more attractive than she did before._

_The suspect is currently on foot in inhospitable terrain ridden with Grimm, and the authorities can assure listeners that they are closing in by foot, road, and air…_

 

_~oOo~_

 

“Since when do you know how to fly an airship!?”

Neptune smirked as he glanced over his shoulder, watching as his partner's cheeks turned green. “I’m scared of water, Sun, not heights. Why? Don’t tell me you’re nervous, you climb tree’s all the time!”

Sun made a choking noise as a round of turbulence rocked them slightly. “That’s different,” he moaned. “At least I know I can count on my tail for balance, up here with you, though, I feel as safe as a- oh, oh Gods,  ** _what are you doing!?_** ” he shrieked as the airship began to sharply dip downwards.

“Suspect sighted!”

 

Ruby leaned heavily against the tree. “Scheisse,” she gasped. “They just won’t give up.” Adam hadn't been kidding, the professor's house was much, much farther away then it had looked, and it didn’t help that Ruby had needed to take a detour on more than one occasion to avoid detection from the police  _and_ from the occasional creature of Grimm. She glanced around quickly, a relieved smile breaking across her face as she realized she was alone. “Thank the-”

She paused. She could hear the hum of an engine, and, glancing upwards, Ruby gave a terrified shriek before she started running again, an airship coming straight towards her-

 

“Neptune, Neptune, Neptune fucking pull up already!”

“Negative, she’s heading North-by-North West! That’s the direction of-”

“The professor’s house?” Sun finished in confusion, muttering a string of curses as his partner took another sharp dive. “What on Remnant does she want with the professor?”

“I don’t know man, but- oh, Gods damn it! She’s disappeared again.”

 

Ruby crouch low in the snow bank, shivering from more than just the cold as the airship began turning around again.

“Grimm Spawn,” she hissed. “I’ve got nowhere left to run, what am I supposed to do now!?”

Almost as if in answer, a mighty screech tore through the air. Ruby gasped, giving a responding scream before taking off running again. “No, no no no no no!” Ruby whispered.

Screw _Alt-na-shall-ach_ , she was not getting eaten by a-

 

“Nevermore!”

“Oh, you have _got_ to be  _kidding_ me!”

 

Many hours later, Ruby was barely keeping her exhaustion at bay, functioning properly only because she had to. The Nevermore had turned out to be more a blessing than a curse, seeing as how it had gone for the airship rather than herself. She hadn’t been bothered since, not by humans, Faunus, nor Grimm. And now finally, _finally_ , she was standing in front of the house, a sign proudly stating ‘ _Alt-na-shell-ach_ ’ hanging from the gate.

Only, instead of feeling triumph, dread washed over her in great waves.

Something about the very sight of it sets off alarm bells in Ruby’s mind, the Goliath of a building standing stark against the white snow of Atlas’ Moore. Even though the lights shined warm and bright from inside the windows, nothing about this place seemed cheerful or safe. Ruby could feel some kind of primal urge stirring deep in her chest, telling her to run, to escape, to go nowhere  _near_ that house.

But where else could she go?

Ruby pursed her lips and gathered her thoughts. “No turning back now."

She walked closer to the sign, noticing for the first time there were more words, buried slightly under a light dusting of snow. She brushed it aside, and read it aloud.

" _Property of_   _Professor Fall_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum-Bum-Buuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Please comment and kudos!
> 
> Read ya later!!!


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